
Taylor's Grip. 



TAYLOR ON GOLF 

IMPRESSIONS, COMMENTS 
AND HINTS 



J< H: TAYLOR 

English Professional and Open Champion 1894, 1895, and 1900 



WITH FORTY-EIQHT ILLUSTRATIONS 

ALMOST ENTIRELY FROM PHOTOGRAPHS SPECIALLY TAKEN FOR THE WORK 




NEW YORK 

D. APPLETON AND COMPANY 

1902 



PREFACE 

THE vast extent and continual growth of the 
game must be my apology for Taylor on 
Golf. I trust that it may prove of benefit to 
players, young and old, and also to those who 
may be considering the possibility of becoming 
identified with the game. 

I have dealt with the subject as concisely as 
possible, and my hope is that the path to success 
may, by what I have written, be rendered easier 
to my readers. 

The point of view from which I have approached 
the Royal and Ancient game has been that of the 
professional, and I have attempted — I trust not 
altogether unsuccessfully — to represent the views of 
the class of which I am proud to be a member. 

I must especially thank Mr. Fred W. Ward for 

the assistance he has rendered me in the production 

of this book, Mr. M. A. Nixon and Golf Illustrated 

for the use of photographs, and Mr. G. W. Beldam 

for his masterly snapshot photographs, which, with 

those taken for me by Messrs. Gunn and Stuart, 

illustrate the strokes I use in actually playing the 

game. 

J. H. TAYLOR 

London, May, 1902 



CONTENTS 

CHAPTER PAGE 

I. The Rise, Progress, and Prospect of the Game . I 
II. Irish and Welsh Links. Caddies as coming 

Champions . . ... 7 

III. Golf outside the United Kingdom. Artisan Golf 

and Golfers . . . 12 

IV. University and Public School Golf . . .17 
V. Championships I have Played in . .21 

VI. A Memorable Championship. The Success of 

Braid . . ... 27 

VII. Championship Courses, and what they are like . 38 
VIII. Courses where the Championship might be 

Played . . ... 44 

IX. The Physical Strain of a Professional's Life . 48 

X. Professional Remuneration . 56 

XI. Prize Money and Expenses . 60 

XII. Tournaments and Invitations . 66 

XIII. County Golf and Club Games . . .71 

XIV. General Hints on Learning the Game . . 77 
XV. The Most Common Fault . . . 89 

XVI. The Most Useful Strokes and Finishing Touches 91 



XVII. Golf for Ladies . 
XVIII. What is Required in Ladies' Golf 
XIX. The Art of Medal Play . 
XX. A Method of Play 
XXI. The Art of Match Play . 
XXII. The Acceptance of Risks . 
XXIII. The Best Hole . 

iv 



99 
106 

113 
118 

125 

131 
138 





CONTENTS 




V 


CHAPTER 






PAGE 


XXIV. 


Lengthening the Courses 


. 


143 


XXV. 


Inland and Seaside Courses 




147 


XXVI. 


Private Courses — their Utility and 


their 






Advantage 


. 


154 


XXVII. 


Golf in America 


. 


158 


XXVIII. 


Golf-clubs and their Manufacture 


. 


169 


XXIX. 


Machine and Hand-made Clubs 


• 


176 


XXX. 


Driving : the Grip 


■ 


187 


XXXI. 


Driving : the One Thing Necessary 


. 


202 


XXXII. 


The Approach Generally 


. 


209 


XXXIII. 


The Approach with the Mashie . 


. 


217 


XXXIV. 


The Use of the Cleek . 


, 


227 


XXXV. 


The Iron and the Short Approach 


, 


233 


XXXVI. 


The Art of Putting . 


. 


240 


XXXVII. 


Getting out of Difficulties 


. 


252 


XXXVIII. 


Mistakes and their Cures — Hazards, 


and 






how to get out of them 


t . 


261 


XXXIX. 


TheBaffy . 


, • 


269 


XL. 


The Golf Ball 


. . 


272 


XLI. 


The Upkeep of Golf Links — An E 


.xpert 






Opinion . 


• 


275 


Winners of the Amateur Championships 


■ • 


294 


Winners of the Open Championships . 


> 


295 


The leading Golf Clubs in the United Kingdc 


>m . 


297 


Rules of Golf 




317 



LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS 



Taylor's grip , 

Photo, by Gunn and Stuart 

" Hell " bunker, St. Andrews . 

"Golf Illustrated" 
Westward Ho. Seventh tee. Mr. H. H. Hilton driving 
a match with Mr. J. A. T. Bramston 

Photo, by Mr. M. A. Nixon 
Sandwich. Crossing the Sahara • 

"Golf Illustrated" 
Bunkered, after having just struck ball . 

Photo, by Mr. G. W. Beldam 
A full drive, finish of swing. Front view 

Photo, by Mr. G. W. Beldam 
Top of swing, full mashie stroke 

Photo, by Mr. G. W. Beldam 
Ordinary mashie stroke, after having just struck ball 

Photo, by Mr. G. W. Beldam 
Westward Ho. Ninth hole. Taylor loses his ball 

Photo, by Mr. M. A. Nixon 

A near shave ! One of Taylor's i».ctitudes after putting 

Photo, by Mr. G. W. Beldam 
High lofting stroke, just after striking ball 

Photo by Mr. G. W. Beldam 
Top of swing with cleek 

Photo, by Mr. G. W. Beldam 
Finish of full cleek shot 

Photo, by Mr. G. W. Beldam 
Full drive, after having just struck ball 

Photo, by Mr. G. IV. Beldam 
Finish of swing, full drive. Back view 

Photo, by Mr. G. W. Beldam 
Addressing the ball for full drive 

Photo, by Gunn and Stuart 



Frontispiece 

FACE PAGE 
24 



off in 



44 
64 
84 
8$ 
92 
96 
108 
120 

132 

148 

152 
160 
172 
194 



LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS 

Top of swing, full drive. Front position 

Photo, by Mr. G. W. Beldam 
Finish of swing, full drive 

Photo, by Gunn and Stuart 
Top of swing, full drive, from behind, showing position of 
and right elbow . , 

Photo, by Mr. G. W. Beldam 
Addressing for drive against wind , 

Photo, by Gunn and Stuart 
Top of swing for drive against wind . 

Photo, by Gunn and Stuart 
Finish of swing for drive against wind , 

Photo, by Gunn and Stuart 

Addressing, ordinary mashie stroke • 

Photo, by Gunn and Stuart 

Top of swing, ordinary mashie stroke (a) 

Photo, by Gunn and Stuart 
Finish of swing, ordinary mashie stroke (b) 

Photo, by Gunn and Stuart 
Addressing for mashie stroke with cut , 

Photo, by Gunn and Stuart 

Top of swing, mashie stroke with cut . 

Photo, by Gunn and Stuart 
Finish of mashie stroke with cut . 

Photo, by Gunn and Stuart 

Address with cleek for full stroke (a) . 

Photo, by Gunn and Stuart 

Top of swing with cleek for full stroke (5) 
Photo, by Gunn and Stuart 

Finish of swing with cleek for full stroke (c) 

Photo, by Gunn and Stuart 
Addressing with cleek for low shot against wind {a) 

Photo, by Gunn and Stuart 
Top of swing with cleek for low shot against wind {b) 

Photo, by Gunn and Stuart 

Finish of swing with cleek for low shot against wind {a) 
Photo, by Gunn and Stuart 

Finish of swing, half-shot with cleek (d) , 

Photo, by Gunn and Stuart 

Address with iron for pitch and run (a) . » 

Photo, by Gunn and Stuart 
Top of swing with iron, pitch and run (b) 

Photo, by Gunn and Stuart 



Vll 

FACE PAGE 
. I96 



. I98 



hands 



. 200 

. 204 

. 206 

. 208 

. 218 

. 220 

. 220 

. 222 

. 224 

. 226 

. 228 

. 228 

. 228 

. 230 

. 230 

. 232 

. 232 

. 234 

. 234 



Vlll 



LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS 



Finish of swing with iron, pitch and run 

Photo, by Gunn and Stuart 
Finish of swing, low shot with iron against wind 

Photo, by Mr. G. W. Beldam 
Taylor's style of putting . , 

Photo, by Gunn and Stuart 
Stymied. Playing to cut ball round opponent's 

Photo, by Mr. G. W. Beldam 
Pitching stymie ; ball in air . , 

Photo, by Mr. G. W. Beldam 
Stymied ball just disappearing into hole , 

Photo, by Mr. G. W. Beldam 
Addressing the ball for full brassie stroke 

Photo, by Gunn and Stuart 
Top of swing, full brassie stroke , 

Photo, by Gunn and Stuart 
Finish of swing, full brassie stroke , 

Photo, by Gunn and Stuart 
Bunkered. In . , 

Photo, by Mr. G. W. Beldam 
Bunkered. Out 

Photo, by Mr. G. W. Beldam 



FACE PAGE 

. 236 

. 238 

. 242 

. 246 

. 248 

. 250 

. 256 

. 258 

, 260 

. 266 

. 268 



In all the illustrations showing the strokes the figure is that of Taylor. It is 
interesting to look at the illustration of Taylor 's grip (frontispiece) from the side 
as well as from the bottom of the picture. 



Taylor on Golf 



CHAPTER L 

THE RISE, PROGRESS, AND PROSPECTS 
OF THE GAME. 

IT would be an almost impossible task to trace the 
history of golf from its origin. Were we to pin 
our faith to our old friend Punchy we should be in 
the happy position of believing that the game had 
reached Great Britain almost as soon as King Hubba 
the Dane had planted his standard at Westward Ho 
— at a time, for instance, when a ball might be lost in 
the maw of a prehistoric monster and the player be 
forced to fly upon the wings of the wind to ensure 
his personal safety. 

Then there is the old, very old story of the 
Scottish herdsman who beguiled the tedium of his 
watches by inventing a game in which white stones 
and his shepherd's crook played prominent parts. 

But it is not my intention to search the ancient 



2 TAYLOR ON GOLF 

archives. Golf, as far as I have known it, has only 
existed for twenty years or so; farther back than that 
my recollection refuses to go. While a lad I played 
golf many hundreds of times at Westward Ho, 
which I still think one of the finest courses in the 
country. That was in the early days when I was 
learning the game by slow but by no means easy 
stages, and it was not until 1 891 that I actually 
embarked upon the pastime in a professional sense. 

Golf at that time was steadily pushing its way to 
the front, but it had not nearly reached the point it 
is fortunate enough to have gained at the present 
moment. There were a fair number of courses 
dotted about the country, but signs of the " boom " 
in the game were hardly yet visible. 

My very first professional match was played 
during the 1 891 season, at which time I was en- 
gaged as professional at Burnham, in Somersetshire. 
Andrew Kirkcaldy was then similarly engaged at 
the Winchester course, and there was a discussion 
over my probable merits as a new recruit to the 
ranks. Eventually a match was ratified between us, 
a 36-hole contest, home and home, and this match 
I was fortunate enough to win by 4 up and 3 to play. 

Still, there can be no doubt that the game as 
generally played at that time had not reached its 
present pitch of excellence, and the cause of this 
being so may be readily explained. 



THE RISE, PROGRESS, AND PROSPECTS 3 

Golf was not then played so extensively; it had 
not really become one of the all -popular pastimes, 
but as additional players and enthusiasts were 
brought into contact with the clubs, the ball, and 
the greens, the style of play improved steadily. 

In 1 89 1 the best professionals, men who were at 
the actual head of affairs, were probably Andrew and 
Hugh Kirkcaldy, Douglas Rolland, the man of 
mighty drives, Ben Sayers, David Brown, Willie 
Fernie, and Willie Park, jun. 

They were the leaders, the professionals who were 
in the first flight of players ; but since then ten years 
have passed, and the list of first-class players is now 
almost as long as in cricket. 

Good courses, too, even in 1891, were not so very 
plentiful. Even around and in the immediate vicinity 
of London, the hub of the universe, the game had 
not really attracted full attention. 

There were a few clubs of standing certainly, but 
golf was principally played on Wimbledon Common 
and at Blackheath. Now almost all the great lines 
have put on special trains offering facilities for 
London golfers. 

In a small way this rapid advance in the popularity 
of golf from 1890 onward may be ascribed partly to 
the sudden enthusiasm shown by Mr. A. J. Balfour 
and in a short time by many other well-known 
men. 



4 TAYLOR ON GOLF 

The world and his wife came and watched the 
game, began to understand the nicer points and 
skill attached to it, and then, seeing it was a health- 
ful, fairly energetic, and decidedly interesting pastime, 
they determined they would take it up. 

And they did ! Courses were laid out, clubs 
sprang up as though by magic, and at last no resort 
was thought really up to date unless a golf links 
could be found within easy walking or riding 
distance. 

The game securing a hold upon all classes of 
society became a fashionable exercise, and nothing 
could stay its progress after that. And yet, curiously 
enough, golf has possibly secured the strongest 
following not in London proper, but in the north, 
more particularly Lancashire, and it is still increasing 
its hold upon that portion of the United Kingdom. 

Lancashire, indeed, is a grand county from a 
golfer's point of view; perhaps, on the whole, the 
best county in the kingdom. There are three or 
four absolutely first-class natural courses to be found 
within the borders, such as St. Anne's, Formby, the 
West Lancashire Golf Club Links, and Southport. 

They are all particularly good, but of the quartette 
I should select Formby as being the best. The turf 
at this spot is in a greater degree naturally adapted 
to the game. It is smooth, yet firm, and I can only 
say that the course is indeed one of the best I have 



THE RISE, PROGRESS, AND PROSPECTS 5 

yet discovered in the whole of England, Scotland, 
Ireland, or Wales. Yorkshire is also a county that 
lends itself in a great measure to the laying out of 
attractive links, but it is not so well off in this 
respect as Lancashire. 

But despite the greater natural advantages pos- 
sessed by some few particular English counties — 
the Lancashire sea-board especially — golf is going 
strongly and well, and quite maintaining its hold 
upon the affections of the public in all quarters of 
the kingdom. And yet, notwithstanding all this, 
it may be that the game has almost reached its 
zenith of prosperity. It is a hard matter to decide, 
and I trust I may be mistaken ; but it is impossible 
to close one's eyes to everyday facts and remain 
oblivious of what is daily becoming a more pressing 
danger. 

This is the problem with which we are unfor- 
tunately confronted on every side. Where shall we 
go in order to secure additional space for our game ? 

If it is impossible to secure ample room, golf 
cannot be played. We are being faced by this 
difficulty wherever we turn, and matters will not 
improve in this respect as time goes on and the 
population continues to increase. 

The condition of things in England is almost 
equalled in Scotland, where the population is great, 
and the links are dotted about all over the country. 



6 TAYLOR ON GOLF 

There is but one spot where we are not faced by 
this question of room, and that is Ireland, which, as 
I shall point out later on, has great possibilities, 
and where no links are likely to be endangered by 
the growth of population. 



CHAPTER II. 

IRISH AND WELSH LINKS. CADDIES AS 
COMING CHAMPIONS. 

SPEAKING in a general sense, very little is 
heard of the rise and progress of the game in 
Wales, yet some really good links are to be found 
within the Principality, and golf is in great vogue 
both north and south. The interested public cannot 
complain of the lack of opportunity for playing this 
game at its best, with such good courses as are to 
be found at Aberdovey, in North Wales, and at 
Harlech ; the former, indeed, is very nearly equal 
to anything I have seen or played over in any other 
part of the country. 

There is, happily, no doubt that an exceptional 
field for the advancement of the game is to be 
found in Ireland. Its golfing capabilities have only 
just been tapped, and I have little hesitation in 
stating that before many years have passed it will 
have steadily risen into the position of a great 
golfing country. Its advantages are many. There 

7 



8 TAYLOR ON GOLF 

you can find without difficulty a large number 
of natural courses, magnificent in quality ; and the 
extent of virgin ground yet to be opened up by the 
golf pioneer is an almost unthinkable quantity. 

It is my candid opinion that golf may eventually 
prove to be the salvation of the country at large. 
The game will bring money from all quarters. Trade 
will naturally follow in its wake, for at a no very 
distant date tourists will cross the Irish Sea — not 
for the mountains, the lakes, or the fishing, but for 
the golf. This is not a fancy picture ; indeed, there 
are already signs of the attractions of the game in 
Ireland, and I have no doubt that time will prove 
the correctness of my estimate. 

As for the courses already in existence, I will 
only mention three of the best with which I am 
acquainted. These are Portrush, Newcastle (co. 
Down), and Portmarnock, near Dublin. All are 
excellent; the most striking fact being that they 
are natural, though marked by the ever-necessary 
touch of artificiality at certain points. 

Irish turf is like velvet in its texture, and the 
very finest putting greens in the world are to be 
found in the " disthressful counthry." This is only 
what might be expected, however, from the climatic 
influences that are at work the whole year round. 
Much more rain falls in Ireland than in England, 
the whole atmosphere is genial and moist in char- 



IRISH AND WELSH LINKS 9 

acter, and so the turf is springy, soft, and as 
true as could be desired by the most fastidious of 
golfers. 

The links near Dublin and Belfast are very fine 
indeed, and the same may be said of those on the 
west coast, at Port Solon and Lahinch, co. Limerick. 
But the game has only come into real prominence 
of late years, since 1890 or somewhere near that 
date, if my memory is accurate. Since then its 
rapid advance is a happy augury for a highly suc- 
cessful future. 

How golf was first introduced into Ireland is a 
moot point, but it appears to have sprung naturally 
to the front at about the time I have mentioned. 
Still, Ireland has yet to produce a really high-class 
amateur — a man who is a little more than equal to 
the task of holding his own in the best company. 
Perhaps the best Irish player is Mr. Harold Reade, 
a typical home-bred representative, and one of the 
best all-round, as distinguished from the super- 
excellent, players a man might desire to meet. 

Nor has Ireland yet produced a professional player 
quite of the first class ; and at the present time 
an Englishman or a Scotsman holds the two leading 
positions in the island. This fact cannot be won- 
dered at now, but it should be remedied in course 
of time. It would be more than strange if some of 
the caddies did not blossom later on into good 



io TAYLOR ON GOLF 

players, capable of taking up the positions attached 
to their native clubs. 

It is to our caddies we must necessarily look 
for our coming men. The small boy, as soon as 
he has satisfied the requirements of a paternal 
government, goes out upon the links, and learns the 
rudiments of the game right through from the very 
beginning, while his mind and his muscles are 
supple. It is very rare to find anyone who takes up 
the game late in life reaching the first class, although 
a notable exception is the amateur champion, Mr. 
Charles Hutchings. 

While upon this subject, however, I would like 
to call attention to the fact that upon some Scotch 
courses caddies are not looked upon in the same 
light as in the south of England. In Scotland, 
curious to relate, it is very frequently found that a 
lad goes upon a course to carry the clubs at a 
comparatively early age, and becomes so imbued 
with the love of his profession that he never gives 
it up ; at fifty or sixty he is still proud to carry 
clubs for a living. 

In the south a boy acts as a caddie until he 
reaches the age of fifteen or sixteen. Then comes 
the time when he has finally to decide upon a 
vocation in life, and he either follows up the game 
as a profession or he leaves it once and for all. 

In Scotland, again, there is a better scale of pay- 



CADDIES ii 

ment in vogue. You may speak of a fixed scale 
as unalterable as the laws of the Medes and Persians, 
but when you are being attended upon by a man, 
and not a mere boy, you feel you must necessarily 
offer a man's, and not a boy's, wage. 

As a matter of fact, this caddie business in Scot- 
land is more or less a tradition, and at St. Andrews 
and other courses I might mention you will dis- 
cover caddies old, bent, and frosted by many winters 
— decrepit, in fact — who have done nothing but 
carry clubs and tee the ball during- the whole of 
their lives. This, I may add, is a thing you will 
find in no other spot in the whole field of golf. 



CHAPTER III. 

GOLF OUTSIDE THE UNITED KINGDOM. 
ARTISAN GOLF AND GOLFERS. 

I HAVE spoken of the want of new space in 
Great Britain ; but in Greater Britain we shall 
find, and are already rinding, an almost unlimited 
field for progression. In the Colonies the game has 
been but recently recognised, and it is only just 
beginning to forge ahead ; judging by the progress 
of the game in America, it should have a great 
future. 

The space at the disposal of the new enthusiasts 
is so great that they may extend their scope in all 
directions, and still, like Oliver Twist, but with 
greater success, cry for more. Australia and New 
Zealand have been fostering the game with jealous 
care during the past few years, but why they should 
have waited so long I am unable to say. Now it 
is satisfactory to hear that our cousins " down under " 
will not allow the grass to grow beneath their feet; 
they are flocking into club membership in increasing 

12 



GOLF OUTSIDE THE UNITED KINGDOM 13 

numbers, and the British club manufacturer is re- 
joicing. 

Almost the whole of the golf requisites have to 
be obtained from this country, and before long we 
shall probably find the Colonies holding out big in- 
ducements to our leading professionals, by offering 
high terms to them in exchange for their services. 

The native players, naturally, will not come to the 
front for a time. As is invariably the case, the 
caddie is the future professional, and until the 
Australian and the New Zealand boy is trained, 
the Colonies cannot expect to produce players who 
are equal to those turned out by Great Britain. But 
the day will come, and possibly the Open Champion- 
ship may yet go to the southern zone. 

Great progress, if we do not judge from an English 
standpoint, has been made of late years with golf 
upon the Continent, and it is certain that this con- 
dition of affairs will continue. France, of course, 
is the principal playing country, as far as links are 
concerned, but courses are also to be found in 
Germany, Austria, Hungary, Italy, and Spain. There 
is only one drawback: the volatile natures of our 
Gallic neighbours do not exactly fit them for the 
earlier stages of learning the game thoroughly. 
Consequently they are not so keen upon it as might 
be wished, and the amateurs do not approach the 
game with English seriousness. 



i 4 TAYLOR ON GOLF 

But in America, which I shall discuss more fully 
in a later chapter, there is a boundless future before 
the pastime. The first golf club organised upon 
American soil was that of St. Andrews, New York, 
formed in 1887. That was a long while ago, but 
since then clubs have sprung up in all directions, 
until to-day you find them in every quarter of the 
States. The game is booming tremendously. Though 
it stagnated, despite the best efforts, for a few years, 
it suddenly leapt into public favour, and has advanced 
with giant strides during the last five or six years. 
My own opinion of the cause of this is that visitors 
who had played during their vacations and tours in 
this country refused to throw off the attachment 
when they returned home. Golf they wanted, golf 
they would have, and golf they have got. 

Coming back to the tale of English golf, there is 
another aspect of the game that should not be 
allowed to escape public attention entirely. I mean 
that golf for the people must necessarily be taken 
into consideration, and artisan golf — the game as 
played by the average working man — must not be 
overlooked. 

With all due deference, I submit that it should 
be properly encouraged throughout the length and 
breadth of the kingdom, for, providing it is fostered 
in a proper spirit, there is a great future before it. 

Let us take the public course situate on the Braids, 



ARTISAN GOLF AND GOLFERS 15 

at Edinburgh, as an argument in point. There you 
may walk upon the course and find immense numbers 
of bond-fide working men playing day after day. A 
small charge per player is made for each round 
played ; and when thousands wend their way to the 
links in order to enjoy a game during the course 
of a single day, it is an easy matter to recognise 
that a fair annual sum is readily placed in the 
coffers. 

At Nottingham, I believe, artisan golf will be 
warmly supported in the near future on the old 
course of the Notts Golf Club. The members have 
left for fresh fields and pastures new, and on the 
scene of their former triumphs the general public 
are now catered for. 

Objections to providing public golf courses will 
certainly arise, and I may at once say I quite 
recognise that artisan golf will, in the majority of 
instances, be possible to the greater proportion of 
the body of workers upon half-days and holiday 
occasions only, and that in some places the amount 
of rent would be prohibitive. Still, such courses 
are not infrequent in certain parts of the country; 
and with the long hours of daylight during the 
summer months, small fears need be felt regarding 
any lack of support. 

Golf would tend to improve the physique of the 
town worker and his children. He would be afforded 



i6 TAYLOR ON GOLF 

exercise and recreation at one and the same time, 
and though I do not anticipate the springing up of 
any fresh champions from the ranks of the artisans, 
yet upon hygienic grounds alone this feature of golf 
is, I submit, well worth consideration. 



CHAPTER IV. 
UNIVERSITY AND PUBLIC SCHOOL GOLF. 

THE subject of University golf has been well 
threshed out during the past, and, taking all 
things into consideration, I think it may be said that 
there is really very little cause for concern. To my 
way of thinking the game at our Universities was 
never going more strongly than at the present time, 
despite all that has been said and written about 
it. Oxford is at present the most powerful of 
the two Universities. Golf there has advanced with 
great rapidity during the last two or three years, 
and their team of 1900 proved a magnificent one all 
round. Ten years earlier almost a scandal was caused 
by the request of the golfing team for a half blue. It 
was thought both outrageous and ludicrous. It is 
difficult to say why they should be at present so 
much the superior of Cambridge, but probably the 
superiority is nothing more than an accident. Oxford, 
for the time being, is merely possessed of the best 
natural players. The idea of superior links may be 

17 



1 8 TAYLOR ON GOLF 

dismissed at once. The course at the disposal of the 
Dark Blues is certainly better than that of the 
Cantabs, but this is scarcely a sufficient explanation 
by itself. 

In Mr. J. A. T. Bramston the Oxonians possess 
one of the first golfers in the kingdom, and un- 
doubtedly a coming champion, provided that all goes 
well with him. He is a man who has played golf 
during the whole of his life; he has all the natural 
advantages most desired, stands some six feet in 
height, is a magnificent driver, and indeed I do not 
think I can sum him up better than by the ex- 
pression that he is a "born golfer." 

Mr. Bramston's first real appearance was in the 
Amateur Championship of 1900, when he dis- 
tinguished himself by reaching the semi-final stage 
of the competition. Then he was beaten by the 
well-known St. Andrews player, Mr. J. Robb, after 
a terrific struggle. 

I should class Mr. N. F. Hunter as one of the best 
of Cambridge players. He is a really fine golfer. He 
learnt the game at North Berwick, and has played 
since boyhood. 

As regards the links at Oxford and Cambridge, 
they are of too purely an artificial character to 
compare with the courses found in other parts of 
the country. The Oxford course is very sporting. 
It is not very long, but it requires considerable skill. 



UNIVERSITY AND SCHOOL GOLF 19 

The Cambridge links are rather too flat to be in- 
teresting. 

Still, I fear University golf will never reach the 
very highest class, the class attained by their rowing, 
cricket, and football, until the game is more strongly 
favoured at the different public schools. 

At the present time, I regret to say, golf is dis- 
couraged more than anything else at the majority of 
the public schools, the scholastic authorities probably 
fearing that their cricket may suffer, though I feel 
certain the fear is utterly groundless. Golf certainly 
develops the litheness which is a most valuable 
quality in all games. 

Whether cricket is bad preparation for golf is 
another question ; but some few cricketers become 
good golfers, such as Mr. E. H. Buckland, who 
played cricket for Oxford, Mr. R. A. H. Mitchell, 
and Mr. A. E. Stoddart, the famous international 
footballer and county cricketer. Mr. Stoddart has 
made immense strides in the game he only recently 
took up, while Mr. Mitchell a few years ago played 
very good golf indeed. 

The discouragement of golf cannot be laid at the 
door of Winchester, I am happy to say. In this 
exception to the general rule the boys have had a 
golf course for the past ten years or so, and are 
encouraged to play the game. The links may not 
bear favourable comparison with many of the more 



zo TAYLOR ON GOLF 

important courses, but such a thing cannot fairly be 
expected of them. They are situated inland. That 
alone is a great drawback; but still, they answer 
their purpose very well. 

Mr. Bramston learnt his golf while at Winchester, 
I know, and at the present time the boys are fairly 
free to take the game up as a pastime. The greater 
part of their playing is naturally done during the 
winter term, but even that is a step in the right 
direction. The case is very different elsewhere, for 
at some of the public schools the boys are actually 
not allowed to handle a golf club, through the un- 
founded fear that this game would spoil or at least 
affect their cricket. 

The Universities might assist the younger golfers 
of the public schools in dissipating this fallacy. 
Once the worth of the game were recognised, it 
would soon grow and increase in prestige, and a 
place in the golf team would be an equal honour 
with cross-country or other athletics, and the dis- 
tinction afforded would assist the game to take its 
proper place. Cannot something be done in the 
matter ? 



CHAPTER V. 
CHAMPIONSHIPS I HAVE PLAYED IN. 

THE mere fact of a man being attached to a 
club either as a member or local professional 
does not necessarily mean he is able to play more 
than an ordinarily good game. The hall-mark of 
excellence is admittedly placed upon a player's 
reputation, be he amateur or professional, by his 
performances in the Championships held annually. 
Very real tests, too, are these struggles for supremacy. 
Nerve, stamina, and readiness of resource are each 
and all required, and occasional flashes of brilliance 
do not mean that a competitor will succeed in head- 
ing the field. 

In a far greater degree than match play a Cham- 
pionship game is calculated to test the all-round 
excellence of a golfer's form. A far from ordinary 
or club game has to be played, nothing must be left 
to chance, fortune must not be tempted, and, in fact, 
every stroke and its probable bearing upon the 
result has to be thought out carefully as the rounds 
are being played. 

21 



22 TAYLOR ON GOLF 

When a golfer is participating in a match, the 
playing of one bad stroke will probably give his 
opponent an advantage sufficient to win the one 
hole, that is to say, supposing the opponents are 
upon anything like an equality as regards excellence 
of play. 

But in the Open Championship it is the aggregate 
of strokes upon the full number of rounds that gives 
a competitor his position, good or bad, at the finish. 

If it be considered for a moment what the playing 
of a bad stroke, and the attendant results, mean in 
these circumstances, my line of reasoning may be 
understood at once. 

The mere fact of the enhanced value of every 
stroke is sufficient to make such a contest a terribly 
trying ordeal for the young player of either grade ; 
it is the one real test of his capabilities. He is play- 
ing at top pressure during the whole of the time ; he 
cannot relax his vigilance or allow his attention to 
be distracted from the business in hand for a 
moment ; and it cannot be wondered at that but 
comparatively few come out of the struggle success- 
fully. 

Even the seasoned player, the veteran who has 
taken part in many a hard struggle, feels the strain 
severely. How much worse, then, must it be for one 
who is new to the conditions governing the play ! 

Even now I do not feel entirely free from the 



CHAMPIONSHIPS I HAVE PLAYED IN 23 
tremor of excitement attending such a contest, 
although my first Championship game dates back as 
far as 1893. In that year it was played at Prestwick, 
and I tied for seventh place, after returning the 
lowest round that was made in the competition. 
The Championship was an entirely new experience 
for me, yet the curious thing was that I did not feel 
at all nervous — certainly not as nervous as I have 
felt in subsequent matches of these series, while my 
best score was made the first round I played. 

This performance of mine naturally drew the 
greater portion of the crowd after me when I went 
out again, and I think I had better admit I lost my 
head, perhaps not an extraordinary thing to happen 
when the circumstances under which I was playing 
are considered. Be that as it may, the presence of 
the people affected my form ; I broke down badly, 
and so was finally put out of the first flight. 

In 1894 the Championship was decided at Sand- 
wich, and there I succeeded in securing the title of 
Open Champion for the first time. During the 
twelve months preceding this contest I had played 
far more professional matches, and so I suppose 
had schooled myself, and had secured additional 
nerve for the big event. I had become inured to 
the presence of a crowd, and so played right up to 
the very top of my form. 

A similar experience awaited me a twelvemonth 



24 TAYLOR ON GOLF 

later, in 1895, when for the second time I won 
the Championship, on this occasion decided at St. 
Andrews. Tuned, fortunately, up to the hour, I 
found myself accustomed to the crowd, and the 
strain made no appreciable difference to me, 
although it looked at one time, after the third 
round had been finished, as though A. Herd was 
likely to become the ultimate champion. 

The Championship of 1896, at Muirfield, provided 
one of the most exciting finishes upon record, for 
on that occasion I tied with Harry Vardon for first 
place, but he defeated me by four strokes when we 
played it off. In connection with this failure upon 
my part, though, there was nothing of an astounding 
nature. The best man on the day's play won, but 
what might have had an effect upon the result, I 
think, was an incident that occurred a month or so 
previously. 

This was what happened. The Hampshire County 
Golf Association had arranged a team match against 
the Yorkshire Union, to be decided at Ganton, the 
links to which Vardon was attached. At that time 
I was in residence at Winchester, and was invited 
to accompany our local team. I agreed to do so, 
but unfortunately for me, I did not reach the scene 
of operations until late in the evening preceding 
the day upon which it had been mutually arranged 
to decide the match. 



CHAMPIONSHIPS I HAVE PLAYED IN 25 

In consequence of this belated arrival on my part, 
I had no opportunity of securing a practice round, 
or of forming an acquaintance with the course I had, 
later on, to play over. The sequel to this misfortune 
was that Vardon literally made mincemeat of me 
when we met on the following day, and I was badly 
beaten. 

In the Championship a little later in the year he 
played a good game. That is beyond question, and 
I should be the first to admit it was the case; but 
(a troublesome thing, these "buts") had he not met 
me previously I should have been somewhat of an 
unknown quantity to him, and it may have possibly 
had some effect upon the result. As it was, he had 
beaten me once, and this fact gave him additional 
confidence. 

I recollect Mr. Hilton, as we were walking down 
the road together after the tie had been played off, 
remarking, " You weren't beaten to-day, Taylor ; it 
was done six weeks ago " ; and I sometimes think 
myself there was a lot of truth in what he said. At 
all events, these things cannot be helped, and a man 
is not a sportsman who cannot smile under defeat. 

My experience at Hoylake, in 1897, was one of 
the worst I had had during the whole of my 
Championship career. I really could not play, try 
as I might. My condition of health I might plead 
as a partial excuse. I had had too much golf during 



26 TAYLOR ON GOLF 

the preceding seasons, and was indeed much below 
my proper form right through the year. 

In 1898, at Prestwick, I managed to secure fourth 
place, and in 1899, when we played at Sandwich, I 
had regained some, at least, of my lost form. 
Vardon, who eventually won the Championship of 
this year, only led me by a single stroke at the end 
of the first day, but I am sorry to say I was not so 
successful during the further progress of the play. 

In 1900 I again won the Championship, this time 
at St. Andrews, being then in robust health and at 
the top of my form again. As for the play itself, 
the contest was of so recent a date that I think 
I may be excused from attempting comment of any 
kind. Last season, 1901, James Braid took the title 
back to bonnie Scotland, and a special chapter must 
be devoted to his achievement 



CHAPTER VI. 

A MEMORABLE CHAMPIONSHIP. 
THE SUCCESS OF BRAID. 

MUIRFIELD and 1901 will take a prominent 
place in Scottish golf history for ever. Was 
it not on June 5th and 6th of the new century that 
Scotland reasserted herself? Not since 1893, when 
W. Auchterlonie secured the title at Prestwick, had a 
Scotsman proved successful in the Open Champion- 
ship. But on the opening of the new century 
James Braid, of Romford, succeeded in finishing at 
the head of the talent, and the title went over the 
Border once again. 

Naturally I should have rejoiced exceedingly had 
the Open Championship fallen to my lot, or to the 
lot of a fellow-countryman ; but regrets are useless, 
and it must be admitted that Braid played a great 
game, one of the greatest games of his life. He 
deserved his victory upon the form he displayed ; 
and looked at from a dispassionate point of view, 
the holding of the title by a representative of any 

27 



28 TAYLOR ON GOLF 

one country for a number of years in succession is 
not calculated to assist the forward march of the 
game in the slightest A division of favours leads 
to the spirit of emulation being aroused, and so, next 
to winning the Championship myself, I am pleased 
that it went to Scotland, and especially to my old 
friend Braid. 

As for the occasion itself, it was fair golfing 
weather, although a strong breeze on the first day 
bothered some of the competitors considerably. 
Prior to the start Mr. H. H. Hilton, Harry Vardon, 
Braid, and myself were favourites for the premier 
honours, but on the first round I think Vardon was 
followed by the largest "gallery." This did not 
disturb him in the slightest, and at one period it 
appeared probable that he would play a remarkably 
good round. This did not exactly happen, for his 
half round in was marred by a 6 at the eleventh 
green. He finished in Jj, Braid's figures being 79 
and mine the same. 

In the second round Braid played a much better 
game, or, possibly, his strokes were not dogged by 
ill-fortune, and his 76 was the result of really sound, 
indeed wonderfully good golf, the score he returned 
being only four strokes above the record of the green, 
which, considering the adverse circumstances, was a 
grand performance. Only one big hole, a 6, was played, 
and that was the second on the outward journey. 



A MEMORABLE CHAMPIONSHIP 29 

Vardon, though, had not quite maintained his 
earlier form, his round being accomplished in 78, 
which, however, placed him upon an equality with 
the ultimate winner. It was on the home green 
that he lost his chance of securing the lead, for a 
moderately easy putt was missed. As for myself, 
I will be contented by simply stating that my round 
totalled up to 83. 

This being the condition of affairs as far as the 
leaders were concerned, excitement ran desperately 
high when the final day arrived. The weather was 
good, the crowd better, and superior to all was the 
play. Braid never lost his nerve, his driving was 
as strong as ever, and his short game remarkably 
good. 

That he still remained favourite for first place was 
proved by the crowd that followed him when he 
started on his third round. He made no mistake, 
neither did he display any signs of weakness, for 
his first shot from the tee well-nigh carried the ball 
to the edge of the first green. Handling his wooden 
putter capitally, he ran up with the greatest accuracy, 
and the first hole fell to him in a 3. 

His attack upon the second hole was not so 
successful, for slightly pulling his drive from the 
tee, he had a heavy lie from which to play. This 
made just a little difference, despite a capital stroke 
away to the right of the green, and as he failed to 



3 o TAYLOR ON GOLF 

get down his putt, this hole required the playing 
of 5. Again going to the third hole, Braid over- 
shot the mark and got into the rougher ground 
beyond the green. It was a somewhat difficult 
position to be in, but he extricated himself, pitched 
the ball dead, and got the hole in a 4. 

At the fourth hole it looked as though Braid 
possessed a great chance for a 3, but it was spoilt 
by his failure to hole out, the ball just missing 
its objective by a hair's breadth. But he made no 
mistake with his next stroke, and another 4 was 
returned. 

The long hole came next, and here Braid's mastery 
over the driver stood him in good stead at first, 
but his second shot planted him to the right of 
the bunker, not in the best of positions. It cost him 
an additional stroke, and he could do no better 
than 5, although the sixth hole was taken in 4. 
Indeed, he was well up in 2, but his third proved 
too strong, it being necessary to hole a long putt 
with his next. 

More bad luck was experienced at the seventh, 
for after Braid had driven a long ball from the 
tee, everything pointed to the probability of a 3 
being the result. It was not to be, however; the 
ball trembled, but lay on the edge of the hole, and 
yet another 4 remained to be written up. His 
fortune was the same at the eighth hole, for although 



A MEMORABLE CHAMPIONSHIP 31 

his approach put him into a position to secure a 
long putt, again he failed to catch the edge of the 
hole by the merest shave, and so missed his 3. 

At the ninth hole his ball stopped within an inch 
of the hole, but despite these drawbacks, his first 
half-round was finished in 37. Going to the tenth 
hole, had he succeeded in a moderately difficult putt, 
he would have had a 3 in place of a 4, but his 4 
for the eleventh was quite above the average merit. 
Had Braid been a less powerful driver, he could 
not have got so near the green with his second, 
while his third carried him almost to the edge of 
the hole, and the final putt was all that remained 
to finish what was a splendid performance. 

Braid's approach to the twelfth hole was of a 
somewhat too vigorous nature, and he had to pay 
the penalty, despite the best of his skill, with a 5. 
He almost succeeded in recovering himself, but not 
quite, and his putt for the hole did not travel the 
full distance necessary. At the thirteenth he found 
himself in a far from favourable lie after his drive 
from the tee, and although a good approach shot 
was seen on this occasion, it was a difficult putt that 
remained. Still, he succeeded in negotiating it suc- 
cessfully, while the same may be said concerning 
the short hole. 

The hope of the Scotsmen was indeed playing 
at the very top of his game. Going to this last- 



32 TAYLOR ON GOLF 

named hole, he played wide of the green and also 
overran the hole with the next stroke. Again it 
was a good putt that saved him, a fact that supports 
my contention that in the majority of instances a 
game is lost or won upon the greens. I have treated 
this in a far more exhaustive manner in another 
portion of the book, hence I have but mentioned 
it in a cursory manner here. It is not altogether 
in the driving that a player wins or loses ; he re- 
quires a sure eye and a steady hand when he takes 
up his putter. Too much attention cannot be paid 
to this particular department of the game, for it 
was through his improvement in this phase of play 
that Braid succeeded in taking the Championship 
back across the Border. 

At the fifteenth hole he secured a 4, and narrowly 
escaped a similar return at the long sixteenth, the 
ball overhanging the edge of the hole. Then he 
obtained a couple of additional 4's, and so finished 
the round in 74, his aggregate total for the three 
rounds being 229. 

Meanwhile Harry Vardon and myself were battling 
along. Vardon was not doing himself justice, his 
driving being continually at fault; but I did much 
better in this round than at my previous attempts, 
finishing in 74, my aggregate, however, being at 
this stage 236. 

But it was during the final round that the battle 



A MEMORABLE CHAMPIONSHIP 33 

royal was witnessed. The crowd, whose sympathies 
were very naturally with the leader, were asking 
themselves one question — " Could he maintain his 
form, or would he lose his nerve ? " As after events 
proved, in this three-ball contest Braid did maintain 
the greater portion of his form ; and although both 
Vardon and I each returned a better round, the 
earlier advantage proved far too great for either of 
us to wipe off. 

To tell the story of the final round, it is only 
necessary for me to say that Braid did not com- 
mence too well, for after getting close to the first 
hole he succeeded in missing a putt that should have 
been well within his compass, and so took 4 to hole 
out instead of a 3. This did not tend to unsettle 
him in the slightest, for at the second hole he played 
a great iron approach shot, and was finally faced 
by a three yards putt. There was a sigh of sup- 
pressed excitement as he prepared to play the stroke. 
Slowly the ball rolled up to the edge of the hole, 
wavered just for a moment, and then disappeared 
from view. It was one of Braid's best putts, and 
it deserved the applause bestowed upon it. 

He was slightly off his game again at the next 
hole, which is a not difficult 4. A short iron shot 
was responsible for his failure in this instance, and he 
exceeded the figure I have named by a stroke. 

A far better recovery, after being short, was wit- 



34 TAYLOR ON GOLF 

nessed at the fourth hole, but at the next the pro- 
spective champion made what was really his first 
mistake of any magnitude. It is a long hole, but he 
got very near to it in 4 — within a couple of feet, as 
a matter of fact. A putt of this distance is as near 
becoming a certainty as is possible, but by some 
unaccountable means Braid managed to miss it, and 
he had to return a 6. At the next he did nothing 
better than a 5, although it must be pleaded as an 
excuse for this figure that he was left with a very 
awkward lie after his iron shot. Accidents will 
happen, even in the best -regulated families, and it 
was but the fortune of war after all. 

So he was not a whit dismayed, and at the seventh 
narrowly escaped a 3 (a performance he repeated 
at the eighth), while with a 4 for the ninth he turned 
in 40 — three strokes above his figures in the earlier 
portion of the day. 

Turning for the return, Braid certainly did not 
reproduce the initial steadiness of his game, but, 
on the other hand, there were occasional flashes of 
brilliance. His first hole when coming in cost 4, 
and at the eleventh (another long hole) he was well- 
nigh up in a couple of shots. Then he fell away 
badly, proved terribly weak on the green, and finally 
could accomplish nothing better than a 6 — a great 
disappointment to those who were anticipating his 
success. Again, at the next hole he displayed weak- 



A MEMORABLE CHAMPIONSHIP 35 

ness in putting, just where he had failed to do himself 
justice on previous occasions, and when he failed 
to discover the way to the hole his score had reached 
seven above 4's. 

Then it was that the fighting qualities of the man 
reasserted themselves. Braid knew that one man at 
least (Vardon) might run him desperately close, and 
he succeeded in steadying himself, a fact rendered 
patent to all by his getting down a difficult putt at 
his next attempt. At the fourteenth he made a still 
better showing, for he had the hole in 3 ; and although 
he discovered the bunker by his drive to the fifteenth, 
he made a grand recovery from a deeply indented 
hollow, and his ball rested within ten yards of the 
hole. It was a possible 3, but there was nothing 
disturbing in the fact that he took 4, for that is the 
par value of this hole. 

Braid dropped another stroke two holes later, for 
again he missed what appeared to be a certainty, 
his putt of a yard's distance not being sufficiently 
well calculated. But with an aggregate of 80, Braid 
finished his four rounds in 309, and then attention 
was turned to Vardon. 

He had not done too well when he started, his 
tee shot for the first hole going into the wood ; but 
he recovered himself magnificently, and 4 repre- 
sented the hole. At the second hole I succeeded 
in securing an advantage of a stroke by means of 



36 TAYLOR ON GOLF 

a four yards putt, but at the fourth and fifth Vardon 
recovered himself. 

At the turn his total was 39 and mine 40, and 
when we had reached the fifteenth we learnt what 
Braid had done. To maintain the English hold 
upon the Championship Vardon would need to play 
a round of 75 — a big task at the best of times, but 
a doubly difficult one now. 

Excitement became intense, for the Ganton man 
had played such absolutely wonderful games on 
other occasions that there was no knowing what 
he might do now; but going to the sixteenth hole 
he missed his approach by some means, and found 
himself badly bunkered. This was not encouraging 
certainly, for the hole cost 6, and it was a necessity 
for Vardon to take the last couple in 3 apiece in 
order to make a tie. 

That this was almost impossible of accomplish- 
ment was recognised to the full, and the seventeenth 
taking 4, the hopes of the English brigade fell con- 
siderably below zero. Then, in approaching the 
last hole, Vardon had more bad luck, for he sliced 
his second shot into the crowd, and his full round 
amounted to 78, giving a complete aggregate of 
312, Braid thus winning by three strokes upon the 
full four rounds. My round cost me 77, and my 
aggregate for the complete contest was 313. 

So the Scot trounced the Saxon, and as I said 



A MEMORABLE CHAMPIONSHIP 37 

at the start of the chapter, Braid deserved to win 
upon the game he played. He is a native of Elie, 
Fifeshire, learnt his golf at Earlsferry and the Braids 
course at Edinburgh, came southward to the golfing 
department of one of the principal London stores, 
and then secured the position of resident profes- 
sional to the Romford Club. 



CHAPTER VII. 

CHAMPIONSHIP COURSES, AND WHAT 
THEY ARE LIKE. 

AFTER the Championships it is only fit that 
- something should be said concerning the 
courses upon which they are decided. But here 
I am faced by a task of considerable magnitude, 
for opinions upon their merits or demerits must 
necessarily differ, and possibly my opinion may 
be in direct variance with those of others who 
have played over them. Hence I approach the 
subject, if not exactly in fear and trembling, yet 
with considerable diffidence, and I must try and 
make it quite clear that the opinions expressed in 
this chapter are mine alone; yet they are opinions 
formed after playing over each of the courses I 
have attempted to particularise. 

Commencing with the leading course, as far as 
excellence goes, I may say at once that I consider 
Prestwick and Sandwich are fairly entitled to share 
the honours, although, to bring the matter to a finer 

38 



CHAMPIONSHIP COURSES 39 

point, I confess I have myself a predilection, a de- 
cided preference, for the former. In my opinion it 
is really better adapted for the game, both for the 
player and spectator, for Prestwick is well suited by 
the contour of the country, and it is possible for the 
spectator to watch every stroke, or nearly so, which 
is played, equally as well as the player himself, and 
the value of this cannot be over-estimated. 

Sandwich, too, is a natural golfing course, but 
there is one great objection to it. It is not an 
insurmountable one perhaps, but it is none the less 
a very real one, and an objection that surely im- 
presses itself upon anyone who may be playing over 
it, no matter whether he be amateur or professional, 

This objection is that a long "carry" faces the 
golfer from almost every tee. The practised player 
will at once recognise what I mean by the expression 
"carry," but in order to render my meaning absolutely 
clear, I may explain that it is necessary to clear a 
bunker or some other obstacle at long distance from 
the tee with every first shot. That is what will face 
a player at Sandwich, and so marked a characteristic 
is this of the course that the late Lieutenant F. G. 
Tait, after a full trial and experience of its difficulties, 
christened it "the one-shot course." It is quite an 
easy matter to recognise the delicate sarcasm of this 
description, and it fairly describes matters as they 
stand. 



4 o TAYLOR ON GOLF 

I may add that at all Championships the tees are 
put back as far as possible. Naturally this additional 
distance to be covered confers a benefit upon a 
man who excels in driving. Such players may be 
instanced in Mr. E. Blackwell, Braid, and Harry 
Vardon. Either of the players I have named are 
capable of negotiating this difficulty of a long 
drive with a fair amount of ease, whereas another 
man, not such a Trojan in his power, might be 
struggling hard and unsuccessfully to extricate him- 
self from the quandary he would be likely to find 
himself in. 

My personal opinion is that a driver of medium 
strength should not be handicapped to such a great 
extent, and beyond all possibility of doubt, it is a 
fact that at Prestwick a player secures a fairer all- 
round chance of distinguishing himself. Possibly 
the second strokes are the more difficult in this 
instance, but that again is a matter of personal 
opinion. What one man may consider difficult 
another may think easy of accomplishment, and 
vice versd. 

Upon visiting St. Andrews, probably the most 
famous of the whole set of courses in the world, 
it will be found that the conditions governing play 
are almost exactly the reverse of those holding sway 
at Sandwich. There is really no "carry" from the 
tee, and the going, if I may be pardoned for so 



CHAMPIONSHIP COURSES 41 

introducing a racing term, is flat when compared 
with that encountered in the south of England. 

Even here, though, there is an objection to be 
raised, if it be the solitary fly in the amber. This 
objection to St. Andrews is that it is possible for a 
player to " top " his drive off the tee almost with im- 
punity. Should he do this, it is quite an exceptional 
occurrence for him to put himself in the way of 
punishment, although I will not go so far as to say 
that such an existent condition is altogether calculated 
to improve a golfer's play. 

After the shot from the tee and its almost entire 
immunity from danger, the second and third shots 
will be found to be more difficult, as the holes 
are surrounded by dangers, more or less apparent, 
that require a considerable expenditure of thought 
and care before they may be successfully escaped. 
So things, with the ready provision of Nature in 
her happiest mood, balance themselves up as far as 
St. Andrews is concerned. 

Hoylake and Muirfield, curiously enough, are 
possessed of characteristics very similar to those 
found at Prestwick, although in respect of the 
second I have named I should describe it as a semi- 
seaside course, a paradoxical definition, I am aware, 
but it is one that best explains what I mean. 

The course is on the slow side, and when on it 
there is a tendency to feel that you are playing 



42 TAYLOR ON GOLF 

within bounds upon a confined space. A wall en- 
closes the whole of the circuit of this course, and a 
player here has an ever-present and uncomfortable 
feeling that he is continually running up against it or 
struggling to escape it. 

The result of being so affected is that it induces 
a curious feeling of being more or less boxed in, 
and this nerve -irritating sensation makes Muirfield 
possibly the worst of the Championship courses. 
As regards the links as a whole, some of the hazards 
upon it are natural in character, but others are very 
decidedly not, and it is in reality a more or less 
artificial course when placed in comparison with the 
others. 

This is as far as the Championship courses go, but 
when we descend to a discussion of details there is 
no question but that the best greens are to be found 
at Sandwich. In this connection it must not be 
taken for granted that they are faster — it is not that, 
but they are possessed of an all-round superior 
standard of excellence. 

Many reasons have been advanced for this, but I 
think the most probable one would be found to be 
the following. At the other Championship courses 
the greens do not require such close attention, they, 
in a manner, look after themselves. At Sandwich, 
on the other hand, unless close and unceasing atten- 
tion is paid them, they would be only too likely 



CHAMPIONSHIP COURSES 43 

to deteriorate rapidly. As this is so, nothing is left 
dependent upon chance; they are well and continually 
looked after, and hence their excellence, which is 
admitted by all who have played there. 



CHAPTER VIII. 

COURSES WHERE THE CHAMPIONSHIP 
MIGHT BE PLAYED. 

AS will be readily seen from the previous chapter, 
l Championship courses are few in number, and 
the blue-ribbon events of the year are decided upon 
them of necessity in quick rotation. There is no 
reason, however, as far as I can see, why the scope of 
the Championships might not be extended, and other 
courses of acknowledged excellence be patronised, 
beyond the select number at present favoured with 
the fixture. 

Not only would this alteration provide a little 
more variety, but it would also tend to popularise 
the game, as a game, in the various parts of England, 
where the big events of the year might be introduced. 
The all-necessary coin of the realm would also follow 
in the wake of the Championships, and a universal 
benefit would be conferred upon every class. 

But before attempting to suggest a few courses 
which are quite up to the standard of excellence 
required for the decision of a Championship, I would 

44 V 



WHERE CHAMPIONSHIP MIGHT BE PLAYED 45 

wish it to be clearly understood that I am simply- 
speaking of places I actually know and links I have 
had the privilege of playing over. Of course, many 
others might be mentioned, were I to adopt a policy 
of hearsay and taking things for granted ; but in the 
following remarks will be found included the most 
prominent courses known and recognised by the 
golfing public. 

I may start with Westward Ho. Upon this course 
golf was played quite thirty years ago, and the 
pastime has made considerable headway of late. I 
have no hesitation in stating that Westward Ho is 
one of the finest natural courses I have ever played 
upon, while it is quite a certainty that it is one of the 
most difficult. It possesses all the advantages most to 
be desired — springy turf, excellent greens, and natural 
obstacles in the way of bunkers, sand dunes, and 
bulrushes. Unlimited space is to be found before 
the grey old pebble-ridge hurls back the crested 
billows of the broad Atlantic, the conformation of 
the ground is particularly well suited for golf, and it 
is indeed well worth the bestowal of the favour of an 
Amateur and Open Championship. 

Brancaster, on the Norfolk coast -line, is again a 
very fine course, quite equal to one or two of those 
that already have the fixture, an important matter 
being that here, too, the links are purely natural in 
character. 



46 TAYLOR ON GOLF 

Then, if we go into this question fully and fairly, 
and approach it with a mind open to conviction, it is 
quite an impossibility to overlook or delete from the 
probable competitors the many magnificent courses 
in Ireland, some of them quite equal to anything we 
can show or instance in this country. 

The claims of North Berwick, again, cannot be 
placed on one side now that the course has been 
extended. At the present time it is quite as good as 
any of the other links I have named, and possesses a 
reputation in the golfing world second to none. 

In a cursory manner I have attempted to prove 
that there are other links within the confines of the 
United Kingdom, other than those already recognised, 
that are well worthy of careful consideration by the 
powers that be. 

As for the Championships themselves, I would 
like to suggest that these big fixtures might very 
readily, and with a considerable advantage to one 
and all, be allotted in turn to courses situate in 
England, Scotland, and Ireland, in place of being, as 
at present, monopolised by the two former countries. 

Two courses might be selected in each of the 
countries I have named — for Wales is England as far 
as golf is concerned — the fixtures would be decided 
upon them in rotation, and this being finally arranged, 
would give the Rose, the Thistle, and the Shamrock 
each a Championship once in three years. 



WHERE CHAMPIONSHIP MIGHT BE PLAYED 47 

Such a procedure as I have attempted to sketch 
would, I venture to think, assist golf in an all- 
round sense, for no disadvantage would be found 
to attach itself to the once in three years system 
of playing the big event off. These Championships, 
it is our proud boast, are open to one and all. 
Probably we shall secure competitors from America 
in the very near future, and personally I think the 
whole of the United Kingdom should share in the 
advantages to be gained by the holding of them. 
It is impossible to do too much or attempt too much 
in the way of encouragement of the game, and the 
broadening of its sphere of influence would work for 
its ultimate good in every instance. 

Intense interest is manifested in the Champion- 
ships. Would they not, then, attract players from 
the particular districts in which they might be 
played ? 



CHAPTER IX. 

THE PHYSICAL STRAIN OF A 
PROFESSIONAL'S LIFE. 

IT is a frequent comment : " So-and-so played 
much below his usual form ! " And yet I 
wonder whether the person who may have penned 
such an expression of opinion wastes a thought upon 
the physical strain that the professional in golf has 
to withstand, year after year, should he wish to 
remain at or near the head of his class? 

We hear of footballers, cyclists, athletes of all 
kinds, going "stale" by reason of their exertions. 
Why should not golfers suffer equally as much from 
the stress of their duties? It is only those who 
have devoted time and attention to the subject who 
are competent to judge of what an effect continual 
playing has upon a man's form. The crowd is 
generous, but they do not understand why, occa- 
sionally, a golfer is not able to do himself full and 
complete justice. 

Professional golfers have their "off" days just as 
48 \ 



THE PHYSICAL STRAIN 49 

naturally as any other follower of sport and pastime, 
and those who are acquainted with the game are 
ready to admit this. Others, however, may be apt 
to feel disappointed when their favourite may fail — 
as he must do at times — to fulfil expectations, and 
for their benefit I will attempt to explain the true 
reasons for " in-and-out " play. 

A man is not a machine, neither can he go 
on for ever. Despite the utmost power of his will 
and concentration of thought upon the matter in 
hand, the snapping -point must be reached sooner 
or later, and then it is that the great collapse occurs. 
Nothing goes right. The fact of the matter is that 
the golfer is played right out, and nature refuses to 
be abused any longer. 

To show what we are sometimes asked and ex- 
pected to do, let me just give one instance of a week 
that fell to my own experience. 

I left London by the Sunday -night express for 
Burntisland, and arriving there in the early hours 
of the morning, played during Monday, the follow- 
ing day. 

On Monday night I left for Carlisle, arriving at 
midnight, left Carlisle at 8.30 a.m. for St. Anne's, 
reaching there somewhere about one o'clock. 

I played one round over the course there during 
the afternoon of the same day, while on Wednesday 



So TAYLOR ON GOLF 

and Thursday I played two rounds each day in the 
tournament. 

On Friday morning I left St. Anne's again, en route 
for Hall Road, in Lancashire, arrived there about 
lunch time, and played a round in the afternoon. 
Then on Saturday I took part in the tournament 
promoted by the West Lancashire Golf Club, doing 
another two rounds, and so terminated the week. 

Just in the bare black-and-white statement this 
may not appear to be such a formidable undertaking, 
yet a moment's reflection will prove that such a tour 
is not a thing to be entered upon lightly. 

The mere fact of so much travelling is in itself 
calculated to upset the nerves of even the strongest 
and most virile player; but the fact is that a pro- 
fessional golfer cannot afford to give way to this 
weakness, so it becomes a desperate fight between 
determination on the one side and lassitude, caused 
by over-strain, on the other. 

The nerves are deadened by this continual strain, 
and the player is apt to fall into a listless method of 
play, unless he fights against the feeling of weariness 
that attacks him. For a time he succeeds, but it is 
indeed fortunate that such tests of endurance do not 
occur week after week; a breakdown would be in- 
evitable. 

Of the games played outside the Championships, 
it is quite certain that tournaments are far greater 



THE PHYSICAL STRAIN 51 

tests of nerve and endurance than purely exhibition 
matches. In the former you are playing against the 
field, and you are ignorant of what the other com- 
petitors are doing. All you know is that you must 
play your hardest if you wish to win. 

In a match you are well aware of what your solitary 
opponent has accomplished against you, and although 
the struggle for supremacy may be a severe one, you 
know exactly where you are. Still, even in this way 
a time of more or less staleness must arrive, and I 
fear the great body of the public are too much 
inclined to think a man must be at the top of his 
form every time he plays. This he cannot expect 
to be, as every professional player has discovered. 

To maintain anything approaching his best form, 
a golfer must of necessity live a clean, wholesome, 
and sober life. I do not advocate any special method 
of training, such as is the case upon the cinder path 
or cycle track. A man must live plainly, but well, 
and he must be careful of himself. If he uses up the 
reserve force, or abuses himself in any way, then he 
has cast his opportunities aside, and he drops im- 
mediately out of the game. There are no half- 
measures. You must do one of two things : Be 
careful of yourself in everything, or forsake the 
game altogether. A man who lives a careless or 
a vicious life can never succeed in golf, or hope to 
keep his nerves and his stamina. 



52 TAYLOR ON GOLF 

The busiest time of a golfer's life, I suppose, is 
that just before and just after the decision of the 
Championships. 

As the dates of the great contests approach, the 
public begin to wake up and recognise the possi- 
bilities of the great struggle. They want to see 
how the various men are playing, and so the aspirants 
for Championship honours are pitted one against the 
other. This continues right up to the battle for pride 
of position for the year. 

Then, after the Championship has been fought for 
and won, comes another very busy time. The golf 
public are wishing to see the new hero with all his 
blushing honours thick upon him, so he travels to 
all parts of the country. If a Scotsman, then the 
Scottish clubs demand his services, while the English 
clubs are not satisfied unless he performs over their 
courses, and vice versd. 

The spring is a busy time for the professional 
player, but during the autumn months there is an 
even greater demand for his services. Visitors are 
seeking recuperation by the seaside, and the clubs, in 
catering for their members, provide the best fare for 
them in seeking and securing the services of the best 
players of the day. August and September are the 
busiest of all, but after that golf slackens down, and 
the hard-worked player secures a much-needed rest, 



THE PHYSICAL STRAIN 53 

while during the months of winter there are really no 
matches of any degree of importance. 

It is a welcome respite from hard work, this winter 
vacation, and we (for I am speaking of my comrades 
as well as of myself) are only too pleased to be able 
to throw off the harness for a while, and let ourselves 
out of strict training, if I may so describe it. The 
winter makes very little difference to the ordinary 
everyday life of a player, but he is not wound up to 
such a pitch as is implied by having to keep his 
form for week after week. 

This rest during the idle months of the year 
strengthens him for the arduous struggle of the next 
season, for the task of getting back into form does 
not occupy a great deal of time. Some men, 
differently constituted, no doubt, take longer than 
others, but in the majority of instances a fortnight 
is sufficient to furbish up your play. 

About ten days is the period I allow myself for a 
general smartening -up process, but with one and 
all two or three weeks are amply sufficient for all 
practical purposes. As for a reaction during the 
playing season, that is not frequently experienced. 
The ordinary match or tournament will not bring it 
on. The strain in thirty-six holes is not alarming; 
but after a very severe match, or participation in the 
Championship, then it is that Nature may be inclined 
to assert herself, and you feel the effects of the ordeal. 



54 TAYLOR ON GOLF 

The presence of a hostile crowd is also calculated 
to get upon your nerves, and naturally put you off 
your game, although I feel I must qualify my state- 
ment in this way. By a hostile crowd I do not 
mean the presence of a mob that is jeering or booing, 
but a crowd whose sympathies are quietly but solely 
with your opponent. Such a thing as this is not at 
all calculated to assist you on your way, although 
it is perfectly easy to understand that a local man 
will carry the good wishes of his own crowd. 

Another thing is that very frequently, through 
thoughtlessness, a man may be put off his game 
by a supporter coming up and speaking to him. 
You cannot talk and play at the same time, and 
there is nothing more irritating to me than for 
anyone to come up and commence a conversation 
while I am engaged in the game. 

To be successful a golfer must sink his individuality, 
and play the game in an automatic, but intelligent 
manner. You must have the greatest control over 
your nerves, you must not allow your attention to 
wander for a moment if you desire to emerge 
successfully from the ordeal. Harry Vardon is an 
excellent type of the " dour " player I have in my 
mind. He shows no emotion, and it is beyond 
dispute that this temperament has had a great deal 
to do with his success. 



THE PHYSICAL STRAIN 55 

Physical ability to bear all kinds of good or bad 
fortune is a necessity for the successful golfer, but 
there are very few, I fear, who recognise fully what 
this physical strain amounts to during the whole 
course of a playing season. 



CHAPTER X. 
PROFESSIONAL REMUNERATION. 

THAT the professional golfer's life is not exactly 
one long siesta upon a bed of roses I have 
attempted to show in the previous chapters, and in 
saying that I must plead it as an excuse for touching 
upon the subject of £ s. d. Like other men, the 
professor of golf must live, and although in dealing 
with the question of a sufficient remuneration there 
are many and complex interests to consider, I think 
it will be readily admitted that every man is worthy 
of his hire. 

To anyone not conversant with the inner workings 
of the kingdom of golf the lot of the club pro- 
fessional no doubt appears to be an enviable one. 
In the sporting and the daily papers his name is to 
be noticed as forming one of the many competitors 
at the Championships, taking a part in tournaments, 
in matches, or in exhibition games ; but neverthe- 
less the remuneration of professionals, taken as a 
oody, is scarcely calculated upon a sufficiently liberal 
scale. 

56 V 



PROFESSIONAL REMUNERATION 57 

When the boom in golf was beginning, I am 
willing to admit the professional had very little to 
complain of on the score of remuneration, whether 
in his club engagements or in other directions. 
Provided he was a good man, he practically found 
himself in a position to fix his own terms, and he 
could coin money rapidly in first-class company. 

Unfortunately, this happy position of affairs did 
not last long, for the rapidity with which money 
could be made had its natural result, and recruits 
commenced to pour into the professional ranks. 
Attracted by the El Dorado, men forsook other 
trades in ever-increasing numbers, and at last the 
supply reached, and then exceeded, the demand. 

These men were not always of the very best 
class, I should like it to be understood, but they 
were sufficiently expert in the game to secure and 
hold positions as professionals to the ordinary clubs. 
Discovering, as they thought, that money was to 
be made quickly, they decided that they had mis- 
taken their vocation in life, and that golf would 
prove the royal road to riches. 

After this it was only to be expected that matters, 
in a financial sense, did not run too smoothly, 
Competition told its usual tale, and at last the 
wages of the professionals were reduced. 

In connection with these wages, the general 
reader must not accept as stern realities all the 



58 TAYLOR ON GOLF 

fairy tales he may read about what is being paid 
to one man or the other. Were I so disposed, I 
could prove the truth of my assertion by the quota- 
tion of actual figures paid by clubs, but I will 
content myself by simply suggesting that, taking 
a general view of the case, the wages paid are far 
too low. I am not inclined to be at all extrava- 
gant in my ideas as to what means would be best 
calculated to meet the needs of the case, but I 
think it would only be reasonable if, so far as 
club engagements are concerned, no professionals 
were paid less than £1 per week, with, of course, 
liberty to add as much as possible to that sum 
by means of matches, tournaments, and so on. 

As for this latter proposition, it is quite possible 
some club officials may have thought their pro- 
fessional was making too much money in this way, 
and therefore decided that his wages must be re- 
duced. But if this were their idea, it was quite 
an erroneous one, as I shall explain fully a little 
later on. Where a professional is concerned, a club 
engagement, as I have said, is entered upon for a 
fixed weekly wage, and with the understanding that 
he shall be allowed to take part in various com- 
petitions. That arrangement may sound very well 
to the uninitiated, but the actual position, I regret 
to say, is this : That unless a professional player 
combines the manufacture of golfing requisites with 



PROFESSIONAL REMUNERATION 59 

his art, he finds it quite impossible to make any 
great profit out of the game ; indeed, he may make 
very little. Some, who are simply players, can 
make but a bare living wage even now, and as time 
goes on their earnings will become smaller and 
beautifully less, until they get very near the vanish- 
ing point. 

What sum it is possible to make outside the 
standing wage is quite an unknown quantity. 
Many things may combine to upset a man's form, 
and a professional possesses very little chance of 
putting by for a rainy day, unless he is fortunate 
enough to be in the very first flight of players. 

The duties of a professional are to supervise the 
links and see that they are kept up properly, and he 
must be on the spot when required to give lessons 
or play a round if necessary. Now I will ask this 
one simple question : is a sum of £1 per week too 
much to pay for this? I hardly think so. 



CHAPTER XI. 
PRIZE MONEY AND EXPENSES. 

PRIZES cannot fall to the lot of all. In respect 
of tournaments, let us suppose the top prize 
amounts to ;£*20. A professional, we will still 
suppose, plays for and wins it. But he is not that 
amount the richer in pocket, as he has had to pay 
his own expenses. 

Nor are these expenses light; and should you be 
unfortunate enough to fail in winning a prize, as 
someone must do, you have expended your time and 
money to no purpose, and at the finish you are poorer 
by many pounds than when you left home. 

Again, tournaments, it is almost unnecessary for 
me to point out, are not all-the-year-round events. 
They are held during the spring and autumn months, 
but the many weeks of summer and winter weather 
are almost entirely dead seasons. 

I can only repeat that it is absolutely imperative 
that a professional must combine the business of a 
golf- club manufacturer, if he is ambitious enough 

60 I 



PRIZE MONEY AND EXPENSES 61 

to desire to make anything approaching a moderate 
competency out of the game. 

Here, again, professionals are really deserving of 
a little more consideration at the hands of the clubs. 
Some of the latter are displaying an inclination to 
let the bigger firms in to the exclusion of their own 
man, the business of clubmaker to the organisation 
being disposed of by means of tender, and the 
highest bidder in the usual course of events 
securing the appointment. 

It is admitted that monopoly is bad in all things, 
whether in relation to golf or anything else, and I 
think the practice I have just described is scarcely 
the way to treat a professional as he deserves to be 
treated. 

When he discovers he is not encouraged, a man 
becomes disheartened. That is one way of looking 
at the matter, but there is another, and it must not 
be forgotten that there is a great and growing field 
abroad open to the leading exponents of the game. 

There is also another matter in which it is an 
open secret a professional is not treated as he might 
be. I refer to the subject of expenses — a subject 
that has proved a bone of contention for a consider- 
able time past in various quarters. Let me take the 
Championship as an instance. 

In a very few and rapidly decreasing number of 
cases the players who are representing their clubs 



62 TAYLOR ON GOLF 

are paid their absolutely out-of-pocket expenses by 
their clubs. Yet the cream of the professional world 
is competing for the Blue Ribbon year by year, and 
a club is fortunate enough in itself if its professional 
is in the happy position of champion. 

There are only three prizes set up for the Open 
Championship — the first, second, and third — really 
worth the winning in a purely monetary sense. 
Now contrast this fact with the actual number of 
professionals who make the annual journey and the 
money won, and the force of my reasoning, that 
each competitor might be paid his out-of-pocket 
expenses, must, I think, be admitted without 
question. 

The actual cost to a professional in taking part 
in this Championship, no matter upon what course 
it may be played, cannot be placed at anything less 
than ;£io; for a competitor must, as a matter of 
necessity, secure comfortable quarters near the scene 
of operations, and the question of railway fare alone 
to a south of England professional, when he has 
to visit St. Andrews, or to a professional attached 
to a Scotch club, when it is played at Sandwich, 
is a by no means inconsiderable item. 

In my humble opinion, every club should, as a 
matter of principle, defray the cost incurred by its 
professional. The occasion of the Championship 
may be looked upon in the light of a holiday, or 



PRIZE MONEY AND EXPENSES 63 

a reunion ; but it is a very expensive jaunt just 
the same, and there is little doubt that many of 
those who participate in it cannot really afford to 
risk losing the amount of money I have mentioned 
as a necessary outlay. 

As for the prize list itself, I cannot say that I feel 
entirely satisfied that it is large enough to be really 
representative of the Championship of the world. 
In 1900 the amount of the premier prize was raised 
to ^50. That was a step in the right direction ; 
it was the largest amount we had ever played for. 
But I am speaking on behalf of the whole class 
of professional players when I say that the first 
prize in the Open Championship might with 
advantage be made ;£ioo, and the remaining prizes 
calculated upon a pro rata scale. 

There should be no difficulty experienced in so 
raising sufficient money that the prize list, as at 
present constituted, might be doubled in value. If, for 
instance, a prize committee were elected and were 
to take the matter in hand, issuing circulars to each 
of the golf clubs in the United Kingdom, in which 
a request could be made for a yearly donation of 
half a guinea for such a provision of prize money, 
the difficulty would be solved at once. 

As far as I am able to judge there can be but 
one objection advanced to such a means being used 
for the securing of additional financial assistance. 



64 TAYLOR ON GOLF 

This objection may be that the whole of the clubs 
— wealthy or otherwise — would be placed upon 
exactly the same grade as regards subscribing to 
a common object. A sum such as I suggested 
donated but once during the twelve months, how- 
ever, would be scarcely felt by even the weakest. 
In view of such an objection, though, I might 
suggest an alternative plan, that is, that no fixed 
annual donation might be solicited. By following 
this method a wealthy club might donate as much 
as five guineas, or something of the kind, and the 
smaller clubs would be enabled to assist as far as 
the condition of their balances at the bank would 
allow. 

Were the amount of prize money to be doubled 
and the expenses of the whole of the professional 
competitors to be paid, the game would be improved 
in every way. A man would then possess the right 
of asking for financial support from the club whose 
honour he represents, and the fact that he would lose 
nothing over the journey and time set apart for play 
would encourage the young and rising golfer to 
compete. 

That the Championships are popular with the 
general public cannot be denied. The favourite 
course, judging by the attendance, is certainly 
St. Andrews, for in drawing power it stands an easy 
first. On the last day of the competition in 1900 



PRIZE MONEY AND EXPENSES 65 

the spectators numbered over six thousand, a crowd 
that could not be secured at any other spot. 

Sandwich, for instance, is too far removed from a 
big centre to draw an enormously big crowd ; but in 
golf, unlike any other kind of sport, we cannot look 
upon it from a " gate " point of view. Were we in a 
position to do so, this question of raising additional 
prize money might be settled without trouble once 
and for all. 



CHAPTER XII. 
TOURNAMENTS AND INVITATIONS. 

COMING now to the question of tournaments, 
I regret that there is a great and a growing 
tendency to make them of a somewhat exclusive 
character. It is done in this way, that only a certain 
number of first-class professionals are invited to take 
part in the competition for the prizes set out upon 
the list. 

I cannot say I am in favour of this method of 
procedure. Personally I should be inclined to favour 
the idea that all tournaments, no matter where they 
might be held, should be thrown open to all comers. 
By doing this two things would be accomplished. 

First, a larger entry would be secured; and, 
secondly, the younger players, upon whom we shall 
need to depend in the future, would be provided with 
an opportunity of pitting themselves against older 
and more seasoned exponents of the game. 

Encouragement of all branches is most to be 
desired, and I think a promising young professional 

6tf 



TOURNAMENTS AND INVITATIONS 67 

would be greatly assisted by these open competitions. 
He would be provided with an opportunity of watch- 
ing the leaders and their play, and he would, as a 
natural consequence, benefit by the tuition and 
experience so gained. 

In an open tournament with a large entry the 
amount of prize money might be affected, but not 
altogether to the detriment of those engaged. At 
the present time it is not usually the case that the 
full expenses are paid of the men who may be 
invited to take part in a competition, but their bare 
railway fare is refunded. 

Should the entry be made an open one, no railway 
fares need be paid, but the amount gained in this 
way might be added to the prizes and their number 
might be increased. 

As for the amount put up for a first prize in a 
tournament, a sum of ^20 must be considered a very 
fair one, although in this respect the full value of the 
prize list must be dependent upon the status and the 
financial position of the promoting club. A large 
organisation will give a big first prize, but a smaller 
one may naturally not be in a position to offer more 
than a ten-pound note for the winning player. 

In the latter case the- entry would naturally be not 
of such a representative character, unless, of course, 
the local professional stood high in the golfing world. 
But such a thing as this cannot be helped. What 



68 TAYLOR ON GOLF 

can't be cured must be endured, and I can only 
repeat that I am thoroughly in accord with those 
who consider that this class of game should be 
thrown open to one and all. 

In respect of matches made between prominent 
players, the same to be decided upon a particular 
course, the promoting club offers a stated sum to 
cover all contingencies, and it only remains for the 
players concerned to accept or decline the terms 
offered, as the case may be. As for this sum it 
varies considerably. Men of the highest class are 
able to command practically their own price, but the 
second-raters must perforce take whatever may be 
offered them. 

Years ago, before the time of the boom, tourna- 
ments were red-letter days in the golfer's career, 
to be thought of and talked about for a very 
long time both before and after the event. At the 
present day the case is vastly different. The prize 
money is as great as at any time during the history 
of golf. In isolated instances it is perhaps even 
better, but the fact still remains, and it cannot be 
refuted, that the sums offered, and the money to be 
gained by the professional player, are hardly good 
enough, not large enough, when we take into con- 
sideration the skill displayed by the men who are 
playing for these prizes. 

The professional footballer or cricketer, we will 



TOURNAMENTS AND INVITATIONS 69 

suppose, serves his club or county faithfully and well. 
He plays his best game, and he does all he can to 
ensure the victory of his side. He gains his reward 
after a certain number of years by the bestowal of a 
benefit, and provided he insures against contingencies, 
or is well favoured by the weather, he may secure 
anything from ^500 to over ^2,000. Even an 
amateur cricketer has had a benefit given him before 
now, but what about the professional golfer? How 
does he fare? 

He, unfortunately, has nothing in the way of a 
benefit to look forward to ; he is not so assured of a 
moderate competency for his declining years, when 
the spring has departed from his muscles, his hand 
has lost some of its cunning, and his eye its keenness. 
All he can do is to make as much money as he is 
capable of doing, and — this is an important point — 
the only chance he possesses of its being anything 
appreciative is for him to reach the first flight of 
players and succeed in remaining among them. 

Nor must the fact be overlooked that the class of 
professionals who are now playing are considerably 
in advance of those who were engaged in the game 
before golf jumped into public favour. 

The golf professional of to-day must be a man 
of intelligence, and one who is possessed of un- 
exceptional references. Unless this is the case he 
finds it impossible to secure a post, and a lapse 



70 TAYLOR ON GOLF 

from the strict path of duty means that he im- 
mediately drops out of club engagements altogether, 
with the result generally that golf knows him no 
more. He has had his chance and has lost it; he 
is required no longer. 

Under these circumstances I think we — for I am 
speaking now on behalf of the whole of my com- 
rades — may ask that we be sufficiently rewarded. 
Professional tournaments will continue to attract a 
crowd and to remain the most popular item upon 
a season's programme. This being taken as granted, 
for it is the absolute truth, why should not the per- 
formers be suitably paid ? 

Rewarded they must be, provided it is desired to 
maintain the game in its present high position. The 
danger attendant upon small remuneration is that 
our best professionals will decide to migrate to other 
countries, and their absence from golf in our own 
land would mean a rapid falling away, both in the 
class of players and the standard of the game. 

America is prepared to pay a very big price in 
order to secure the services of the very best men (I 
am speaking from personal knowledge as I write), 
and there the danger lies. Unless these men are 
encouraged to remain in their native land, I fear they 
will be inclined to nibble at the bait which is dangled 
before them by the clubs across the water. 



CHAPTER XIIL 
COUNTY GOLF AND CLUB GAMES. 

COUNTY golf, I regret to say, appears only too 
likely to die a more or less natural death, 
though why there should be such a want of interest 
in it I quite fail to see. Many of those with whom I 
have talked the matter over have expressed an 
opinion that the time is not yet ripe, but personally 
I cannot agree with them. There is no time like the 
present ; and with the widespread interest in the 
game displayed throughout the whole of the country, 
it is more than strange to me that county games 
should have been allowed almost entirely to lapse, 
and the pastime to languish simply because of 
neglect to make the best use of opportunities for 
their development. 

My firm belief is that, provided a few enthusiastic 
spirits could be induced to move in the matter, county 
golf would eventually rank only second to cricket 
and football ; and the benefit such a progressive 
step would confer upon the all-round game, as 

7i 



72 TAYLOR ON GOLF 

distinguished from that of the individual, would be 
great and far-reaching in its effect. 

The idea of county golf would be that central 
associations should be formed in each county, to 
which it would be necessary that each club should 
become affiliated ; this accomplished, a series of 
inter-club matches might be played, and once the 
best men from each club became known, the county 
team might be formed without further delay, and 
a " round " of matches could be played. The whole 
of the kingdom might be split up into groups, the 
champion of the one to play the champion of the 
other, until the whole were reduced to the pair who 
would have to contest the final. 

The Rugby Football County Championship and 
its method of working might serve as a guide to 
the procedure; and could this idea be once fairly 
considered, I imagine there would be very little fear 
concerning the ultimate success of the scheme. 

In many ways this system of county golf would 
tend to elevate the class of game. The primary aim 
of each county would be to become champions of 
their particular group, but the fact must not be over- 
looked that club golf would be assisted in an equally 
efficient manner. 

The series of preliminary games it would be 
necessary to decide before the best players could 
be selected would afford the members of even the 



COUNTY GOLF AND CLUB GAMES 73 

smallest and poorest club a chance. If there hap- 
pened to be any latent talent the competition would 
tend to bring it to the front, while a system of 
playing home and home matches would influence 
the game all round. 

To perform upon different courses is an education 
for any man. He is brought under variable con- 
ditions, and the difficulties to be overcome are 
calculated to do him a great amount of good. He 
learns what becomes necessary in order to adapt 
his play to circumstances, and a strange course, as 
experience is gained, rapidly loses its terrors for 
the novice. 

Quite as important, too, is the fact that he is 
meeting probably better and more experienced 
players than himself. He watches their play, ob- 
serves how they extricate themselves from difficult 
positions, and, in attempting to imitate them, gains 
both in power and the knowledge of how to best 
apply it. 

By these series of inter-club matches men would 
also be encouraged to play with a definite aim or 
purpose in view. It would tend to weld the best 
and poorest golfers together, and encourage the only 
moderate performer to go on with his practice, in 
the confident hope that at a no very distant date 
he will be capable of holding his own in practi- 
cally any company. 



74 TAYLOR ON GOLF 

When the time of the County Championship 
proper arrived for decision, a combined team of 
amateurs and professionals might readily be played. 
The respective numerical strengths of the sides 
would naturally depend upon the number of clubs 
included within the confines of the county, but even 
a team of three amateurs and a similar number of 
professionals would be sufficient. 

This fact of a combined team being played would 
also strengthen the positions of both departments 
of the game ; while the effort to attain the champion- 
ship of a county would be an honour calculated to 
bring out the strongest and finest points of all those 
engaged. 

Then, after the County Championship, why not 
international games, to be contested by combined 
teams of amateurs and professionals drawn from 
England, Scotland, Wales, and Ireland? We have 
seen what the football internationals under both 
codes have done for that particular branch of sport. 
International golf has been tried at Hoylake, but 
with purely amateur teams. Why should not a com- 
posite side be successful ? 

Many times has this idea been mooted, but still 
little has been done to advance it to any extent. 
Yet the fact remains that with selected inter- 
nationalists, amateur and professional, men would 
be brought out of their shells, for many a player, 



COUNTY GOLF AND CLUB GAMES 75 

not ambitious enough to go in seriously for a 
Championship, amateur or open, would be inclined 
to accept his chance of gaining an international cap, 
badge, or medal. 

Such a series of Championships as I have at- 
tempted to enumerate would tend to encourage the 
love of the game amongst the masses, and in the 
future we need not fear meeting the best teams from 
America, Australia, or South Africa. There are 
practically endless possibilities in this idea. As the 
game advances in the countries across the seas, so 
will the opportunities for the meetings of teams 
increase. We have rifle teams from Canada and the 
States ; we would equally welcome the idea of a 
competition with a team of golfers. 

I should like to add just a few brief words about 
purely club golf. The introduction of Colonel Bogey 
quite revolutionised the game as played in club 
circles, but it might be better were more inter- 
club matches to be played. Were this done, greater 
esprit de corps would be engendered, the spirit of 
emulation would be aroused, and additional interest 
would attach itself to the doings of the respective 
clubs. This being so, I fancy the latter organisations 
would foster the idea were it once placed fairly be- 
fore them for consideration. 

A big professional tournament is at present the 
most certain method of attracting notice and popu- 



76 TAYLOR ON GOLF 

larity to a club, new or old. But this scheme of 
tournaments is faced by one great drawback, and 
that is the question of expense. Only the wealthiest 
clubs can afford to run a big tournament, but inter- 
club competitions are within the compass of one 
and all, even of the weakest. 



CHAPTER XIV. 
GENERAL HINTS ON LEARNING THE GAME. 

WE are told that the poet is born, not made ; 
and in the matter of golf I am inclined to 
think this saying may be very well paraphrased, 
for it is beyond possibility of contradiction that a 
player who is able to aspire successfully to the 
gaining of Championship honours or performances 
of first-class merit must possess a natural aptitude 
for the game. The fact of my expressing this 
opinion, however, must not be taken as a dis- 
couraging factor. With plenty of practice, good 
tuition, and a capacity for taking pains, with a 
faculty of supporting initial disappointments, any 
man, young or even middle-aged, may learn how 
a good game is to be played. 

If he is naturally an adept at picking up the 
finer points, so much the more in his favour; but 
he should never be cast down over an exceedingly 
moderate or even a poor start. The best of us 
have had to learn ; if one can succeed, why not 

77 



78 TAYLOR ON GOLF 

another? Rome was not built in a day. There is 
no royal road to golf, and the finished player 
cannot be made immediately he takes a club in his 
hand. 

Before commencing to offer a few hints, I may 
be allowed to make one very necessary explana- 
tion ; it is, that I consider it impossible for any 
man to learn any game, and especially golf, purely 
from a text -book. It is possible to reiterate in- 
structions and lay them down in black and white, 
and the learner may accustom himself to the theory 
of the game, but the practical idea must be learnt 
upon the links. 

Under the circumstances I shall not attempt here 
to enter into the points of the game in anything 
approaching an exhaustive manner. I shall attempt 
to show briefly how the game should be learnt, and 
how I should proceed were I teaching a pupil, but 
simply in a general sense, as I shall deal with the 
art of golf in a more technical way a little later on. 

Methods must necessarily vary with the style 
and aptitude possessed by the learner. That is 
where the value of the practical side makes itself 
felt, and, also, it is where the average text -book 
is in error in the majority of instances. It is use- 
less, this attempting to teach golf upon one set rule. 
The teaching must, as I have already remarked, 
vary, for what one man would find extremely easy 



HINTS ON LEARNING THE GAME 79 

of accomplishment another might find to be exactly 
the opposite. 

And now for what I have to suggest as hints for 
golfers, young and old. 

The provision of a set of clubs is, of course, the 
first thing necessary. Economy must not be studied 
to too great an extent in this respect, but I think 
for the purpose of a beginner at the game half a 
dozen clubs will be found amply sufficient for the 
purpose we have in view. This set should consist 
of a driver, brassie, cleek, iron, mashie, and putter. 

Here we have all that is necessary at the start. 
I am fully aware that there are players who pin their 
faith upon a very much greater variety; but, in my 
opinion, the half-dozen clubs I have enumerated are 
all a learner or an ordinary player would be likely 
to require — all that are really necessary. 

Now for a system of tuition. 

As I have pointed out, there are no two men 
who possess an exact similarity of style. Hence 
the necessity for an instructor to determine what 
method of play should be employed. He must 
"size" his man up — if I may be allowed to so 
express myself. Then, and not before then, can 
he see how it would be best for him to proceed. 

The greatest mistake that can be made is to 
attempt a rule -of- thumb means of imparting a 
knowledge of golf. The art of teaching lies in the 



8o TAYLOR ON GOLF 

way a good style is gradually forced upon a learner. 
The latter's own method must be subordinated, and 
yet made use of, for the instructor must see that the 
learner is not cramped or rendered stiff by the 
means used toward the end. In short, one certain 
style does not suit two different men. That is where 
practice, and not theory alone, is discovered to be 
the most important factor in the working for ultimate 
success. 

But, supposing myself to be upon the links, I 
should, after watching a pupil make, or attempt to 
make, a few strokes of various kinds, be able to 
form some slight idea concerning his capabilities. 

This accomplished, I should take him in hand, 
and, as a commencement, proceed to teach him how 
to drive. Practice at this would go on for half an 
hour or so at a time, and in the course of a few 
lessons a man should be able to acquire the rudi- 
ments of the stroke, how and how not to do it, and 
after that a careful observance of the rules he would 
have heard laid down should be all that was neces- 
sary, with, of course, plenty of practice. 

After a man had rendered himself fairly familiar 
with the use of the driver, I should proceed with my 
tuition in respect of the iron clubs, the cleek, the 
iron, and the mashie. Here again, owing to a diver- 
sity of styles, we should find necessary a blending 
of the best with what was most suitable for the 
particular individual. 



HINTS ON LEARNING THE GAME g| 

The rapidity with which a learner " picks up " golf 
depends largely upon himself, although I admit my 
experience has shown me that a good athlete has 
everything in his favour, taking one thing with another. 

He generally takes more or less naturally to golf, 
and a man, for instance, who has played cricket or 
fives, or any similar game where muscles must work 
in conjunction with the brain, as a general rule picks 
up the rudiments of the game far more rapidly than 
a man who has occupied himself with sedentary 
pursuits alone. The one readily sees through a 
thing after his tutor has gone to the pains of ex- 
plaining it to him, while the other finds a difficulty 
in accustoming himself to his very different environ- 
ments. 

I should like to repeat my warning to the intend- 
ing aspirant to golf honours against the erroneous 
idea that, armed with a text-book and the necessary 
clubs, he is quite capable of teaching himself how 
the game is best to be played. 

I feel I cannot protest too strongly against such 
a thing as this being attempted, for not only is the 
idea an altogether wrong one, but more than that, 
it is a very dangerous one. We will suppose, just 
for the mere sake of argument, that you have learnt 
the lessons laid out before you between the covers 
of your pocket volume, and that you go out to 
conquer or to die. 



82 TAYLOR ON GOLF 

Insensibly, perhaps, but none the less surely, you 
drift into habits and mannerisms which you will find 
it impossible to shake ofT. They will cling to you as 
closely as Sinbad's old man of the sea. The majority 
of these habits, too, will be bad ones; it will be 
impossible to entirely eradicate them, and the result 
will be that before you have fairly launched yourself 
upon the pursuit of the game you will have practi- 
cally ruined your chances of becoming proficient. 

This is the point that I desire to drive home as 
forcibly as lays within my power. The idea of self- 
tuition is an altogether impossible one, and in order 
to learn the game thoroughly the services of a 
competent instructor must be secured and his advice 
literally followed out to the letter. 

After bad habits have been acquired, the trail of 
the serpent is over the whole of the play, and the 
task of the tutor is rendered trebly difficult. He is 
not faced by one desperately bad stroke or mistaken 
knack of doing a thing; the faults now are many, 
their name is legion, and all the tutor can fairly hope 
to do in the long run is to modify them and blend 
them with the real thing as far as he is able. 

The instructor may try and try ; he may approach 
his task from various standpoints, but if a man has 
once fallen into a bad style, the best the tutor can 
fairly hope to do is, as I have already said, to 
modify it to some extent. Even then, should he 



HINTS ON LEARNING THE GAME 83 
apparently succeed, it is apt to crop up when least 
expected, so my decided advice to a beginner is, 
Don't attempt to teach yourself — such a thing is an 
impossibility — but go to a competent instructor and 
secure a series of lessons. There is no great and 
ready road to excellence in golf, but some roads are 
easier than others. 

Coming back to the subject of actual instruction. 
After a fair amount of proficiency has been acquired 
in the use of the cleek, iron, and mashie, we have 
the difficulty of the putting to surmount. And 
here I may say at once it is an absolute im- 
possibility to teach a man how to putt. 

Even many of the leading professionals are weak 
in this department of the game. Do you think 
they would not improve themselves in this particular 
stroke were such a thing within the range of 
possibility? Certainly they would. The fact is, 
that in putting, more than in aught else, a very 
special aptitude is necessary. A good eye and a 
faculty for gauging distances correctly is a great 
help, indeed, quite a necessity, as also is judgment 
with regard to the requisite power to put behind 
the ball. Unfortunately, these are things that can- 
not be taught, they must come naturally, or not 
at all. 

All that is possible for the instructor to do is to 
discover what kind of a putting style his pupil is 



84 TAYLOR ON GOLF 

possessed of, offer him useful hints, and his ultimate 
measure of success is then solely in his own hands. 

It is easy to tell a pupil how he must needs hold 
his clubs in driving or playing an iron shot, but 
in putting there is hardly such a necessity. The 
diversity of styles accounts for this, and in this 
particular kind of stroke a man must be content to 
rely upon his own adaptability alone. 

In teaching the game right through, what an 
instructor has to do is this: he must discover his 
man's particular kind of style, and that done, he 
must develop it or graft a better one upon it. As 
for teaching how the more difficult shots are to be 
played, well, that is a matter that must of necessity 
be left to the purely practical side of instruction. 

A man may play a round, and no matter whether 
it be the result of good luck or good judgment, he 
may not find himself in many difficulties. If he 
does find himself in an awkward predicament he 
must use his brain, think the situation over, and 
get out of it in the best manner he is capable of. 
Conditions vary so much that it is impossible to say 
what must be done; strokes must be played to suit 
the case, for accidents will happen to the best of us. 

Probably the most difficult shot that would fall 
to the lot of any player would be that rendered 
necessary by his getting into a hazard, or finding 
it necessary to recover from the result of a bad 




- 



HINTS ON LEARNING THE GAME 85 

stroke. How to accomplish it, as can be readily 
understood, may be shown in actual practice upon 
the links, but it cannot be explained in bare black 
and white. All that can be done is to advise the 
pupil as he is playing, and to allow him to practise 
getting into position again, and so prepare himself 
for anything he is likely to encounter when playing 
entirely unsupported and with nothing but his own 
knowledge to rely upon. 

A great deal has been written and said in the 
various text -books concerning the position a man 
must stand in when he is playing a stroke. Dia- 
grams have been pressed into service to show what 
should be attempted, and so on. 

But the great diversity of opinion is a very curious 
feature of this particular piece of advice. Some 
golfers, leading amateurs and professionals alike, will 
decide that they must, and do, play off the right 
foot, and others, who stand equally as high in re- 
putation, play off the left. 

The fundamental idea in this dissimilarity of style 
is the same, although in this instance again it would 
be a matter of extreme difficulty to lay down any 
fixity of ruling that would bear directly upon it. 

Personally speaking, I play off the right foot, and 
have always done so. Why this should be the case 
I cannot say; all I know is that it came quite 
naturally for me to do so. 



86 TAYLOR ON GOLF 

Mr. Horace Hutchinson, on the other hand, de- 
clares that the correct way is to play off the left leg, 
although I can say with perfect safety that nearly 
every first-class professional golfer plays more or less 
off the right foot. This is, however, only a question 
of style and the effect of it upon a man's play. 

But there is the question of weather to be con- 
sidered in this matter of the position taken up when 
actually playing. Rough weather naturally affects 
some golfers to a far greater degree than it does 
others, and in my own opinion, if you play off the 
right foot, you secure an advantage. You apparently 
have a greater amount of command over the ball, 
but why this should be the case I am unable to say. 
Possibly it may be that you strike the ball in a 
different way, although I think the secret is that 
in playing from the right foot you secure a far 
greater amount of leverage, which gives additional 
power to the stroke. The meaning of this could 
well be illustrated in actual play, but it is difficult 
to otherwise convey it. 

As against the left -leg theory, the case of Mr. 
John Ball might be taken as a powerful argument. 
Mr. Ball is one of the finest exponents of the game, 
but he plays off the right. He is a grand golfer when 
the weather is at its roughest ; and the same may be 
said of Mr. H. H. Hilton, who also is inclined to play 
off the right leg. 



HINTS ON LEARNING THE GAME 87 

Mr. Ball and Mr. Hilton do not play in the same 
style ; but for the purpose of illustrating what I 
mean, we will suppose they are both handling the 
club in a very high wind — a fair test of the powers 
of anyone. 

Mr. Ball, as he makes his stroke, appears to play 
across the current of the wind, and Mr. Hilton in a 
manner calculated to secure any assistance possible 
from the breeze that may be blowing at the time. 
That is the most simple way by which I am enabled 
to describe their respective styles, unless I descend to 
the use of technicalities, and I have no intention 
of doing that in the course of this chapter. 

The nicer points of the strokes, however, have 
never been looked at from a purely professional 
point of view, and although the finished player may 
obtain a longer carry (I say "may" advisedly) for 
his ball by playing off the left leg, I hold that this 
is more than counterbalanced by the additional 
command over the ball secured by playing off the 
right foot. 

By the use of the word "carry" in the previous 
paragraph I need hardly explain that I am referring 
to the distance covered through the air before the 
ball touches the ground. 

This effect cannot be gained by intentionally im- 
parting any bias or spin to the ball by the action of 
striking it. Upon the billiard table a skilful player 



88 TAYLOR ON GOLF 

is able to deflect the course of the cue ball by the 
side or bias he imparts in playing it. This cannot be 
done in golf, for the smallest degree of "cut" im- 
parted from the head of the club tends to stop its 
proper progress. 

If a ball turns and twists in a reverse direction 
while describing a curve through the air, it has not 
been truly hit. But in choosing the lesser of two 
evils, a pulled ball is to be preferred to a sliced one, 
owing to the greater amount of run imparted to it. 

Still, it is not advisable, neither do I look upon it 
as being golf in the truest sense of the word, for the 
knack of pulling or slicing to be cultivated, as I am 
afraid it is by a great many players. No compromise 
should be made with a fault. 



. ■* : J •; A J.- ' 




Full Drive, Finish of Swing, Front View 



CHAPTER XV. 
THE MOST COMMON FAULT 

I SUPPOSE the act of topping his drive is by 
far the commonest fault with an inexperienced 
player. Many causes tend to make this mistake of 
more frequent occurrence than any other blunder 
witnessed upon the course, but I think the primary 
cause, in the majority of instances, is the involuntary 
action of straightening the knees when making the 
swing before the actual stroke is played. 

A golfer should guard against playing with his 
legs perfectly straight and as rigid as a bar of steel. 
On the contrary, the knees should be bent, the head 
kept at the same level throughout the playing of the 
stroke, and the swing must come from the hips alone, 
and not below that point. Freedom of action must 
be carefully cultivated, and the feet must not be 
allowed to alter their position. If these instructions 
are not carried out to the strict letter, it is more than 
possible that the ball may fly anywhere except in 
the intended direction. Too much attention cannot 
be paid to these matters of detail, for it is on small 
7 89 



9 o TAYLOR ON GOLF 

but important things that the whole fabric of success 
is by degrees built up. 

When a ball is sliced it will be generally found 
that the fault lies in the manner in which the arms 
are used, their being pulled in toward the body, for 
instance. These slices are generally effected from 
the heel of the club head, but it is a fact that they 
may be played equally as well (or badly) from the 
exact centre. It is solely the fault of the use of the 
arms, for the club should in every instance be allowed 
to follow the stroke through straight in the intended 
line of flight. 

If the club happens to be deflected out of its 
correct line, the drive will be found to suffer, and 
the ball itself will trend to the right or to the left, 
as the case may be. 

The right hand is naturally the stronger of the 
two — much more powerful in the average man than 
the left — and the learner is just as naturally prone 
to use it. But in the game of golf he must keep 
in front of him at all times the fact that the left hand 
should fill the position of guide, and it must have the 
predominating influence over the stroke. 

That this is rather unnatural I am perfectly willing 
to admit. Its being unnatural is the basis of its 
great difficulty, but it is a difficulty that must needs 
be grappled with and overcome by any man who 
desires to play the game as it should be played. 



CHAPTER XVI. 

THE MOST USEFUL STROKES AND 
FINISHING TOUCHES. 

SPEAKING now of the most useful strokes a 
man can make himself proficient in, I think 
the best and most paying of all is the approach 
shot. A player of the game will readily understand 
what I mean by this, but for the benefit of the 
inquirer or young beginner I may point out that 
an approach shot proper means, as it is generally 
understood, the playing of a stroke over any dis- 
tance up to a hundred yards. 

I am quite aware that an approach shot is the 
most difficult of any to play properly, but when 
properly mastered a man will find its great utility 
and value immediately. The stroke is a difficult one, 
from the fact that it is, or should be, played solely 
from the wrists. There is not a semblance of body 
swing about it ; it is wrist work, and that alone, from 
which success is attained. 

Every atom of the work in a stroke such as I am 
9i 



92 TAYLOR ON GOLF 

now describing comes from the wrists — I am now 
speaking in a broad sense — and those players who 
are possessed of naturally flexible, yet strong, wrists 
hold a great advantage. But others should not 
be discouraged by any inability to do all that is 
required at their initial appearances and attempts. 
The art of playing any particular stroke cannot be 
learnt without the expenditure of time and trouble. 
It is continual brainy practice, bearing the advice 
of the tutor in mind, that has made our foremost 
players what they are at present, 

The most popular club, I think, is admitted to 
be the mashie. Up to the time of its "arrival," as 
they say in America, the niblick, with its short, heavy 
squat head, was used for the greater portion of the 
rougher work encountered while playing a round. 
But now it has, to a great extent, gone out of vogue, 
although on some courses you may still discover 
players who continue to include it amongst their 
impedimenta. 

Still, it is only during recent years that the mashie 
has been used as a club with which approach shots 
can best be played. Formerly the golfer, amateur or 
professional, in playing a shot of this description 
invariably used an iron ; now the mashie has been 
found to be better adapted for the purpose, with its 
short, deep blade, than the long, narrow blade of 
the iron. 



■ ' 



y 




Top of Swing, Full Mashie Stroke. 



THE MOST USEFUL STROKES 93 

It would be quite an easy matter to argue out the 
why and the wherefore of this favour being accorded 
it at considerable length, were I so disposed, but I 
think it will be amply sufficient to say that in the 
mashie the weight is better distributed and balanced ; 
hence, when it is once used, like a famous toilet 
preparation, we "use no other" — for this particular 
kind of stroke, at all events. 

Supposing now that the learner has accomplished 
one portion of his self-imposed task, and has become 
fairly proficient in the use of some of the clubs, he 
must not rest content with the degree of excellence 
to which he has attained, for the finer, more delicate, 
and finishing touches of the game have yet to be 
learnt. 

More than a passing acquaintance must be gained 
with what I will term the intermediate clubs — clubs 
that are brought into very frequent use when finesse 
and skill are required to assist the player in the more 
delicate parts of the pastime. Additional clubs to 
those I first named may not be absolutely necessary 
to the ordinary player, to the man who is quite 
content to play a moderately good game, but I 
would certainly recommend their being used as the 
player's game improves, for a golfer cannot know too 
much about his own particular sport. 

These additional clubs fill the gaps that have been 
left in the endeavours to acquire a full capacity to 



94 TAYLOR ON GOLF 

play the game. They are a driving mashie and a 
mashie iron, possessing the same style of blade as 
would be found upon an approach mashie, but not 
having so great a lofting power, owing to the shape 
of the blade. 

These clubs, though, I should like to mention, 
possess the same advantages over the iron for long 
shots as the approach mashie has over the iron for 
the approach shot alone. They are better balanced 
clubs, the weight is concentrated in a more favourable 
position, and it is in these points, small, but all-im- 
portant, that their advantages lie. Their possibilities 
are great when handled properly, and any young 
player who desires to rise superior to the general 
standard cannot take too much pains over them. 

I fear a casual reader may possibly think, from a 
perusal of the foregoing, that most of my hints have 
been devoted to the young man alone, but they are 
meant for all who are inexperienced, irrespective of 
age. 

I may assure my readers that there is no reason 
why any man, even after the first blush of his youth 
has passed, may not become in time a good golfer. 
The Championships, of course, are not likely to be 
within his compass, but the same may be practically 
said all round, for they can only fall to a few of 
the very best performers ; but given good health, 
good eyesight, and a determination to see the matter 



THE MOST USEFUL STROKES 95 

through, there is no reason at all why the average 
man should not be capable of holding his own with 
his club friends. 

When a man has reached, I will say, thirty-five or 
forty years of age, his inclination is in the direction 
of the steady game, a style of game at which I feel 
confident he may do well. He will not be inclined 
to strive after effect or to "play to the gallery," as 
not infrequently happens with the younger genera- 
tion of golfers. 

The tortoise, it will be recollected, succeeded in 
defeating the hare. "Slow and sure" is another 
crusted, but apposite saying, and personally I am by 
no means certain that the steady, careful game is not 
after all the most sensible one. 

There can be no denying the fact that the one 
thing necessary in the game is steadiness and 
stamina combined. There is, of course, an ad- 
vantage in learning the game when young, but 
yet there is no reason to despair of getting well 
up in the lists even if a man has found it impossible 
to handle the clubs until he has reached the late 
thirties. 

In proof of my statement in this respect I may 
instance Mr. C. Hutchings, of Hoylake, as an example. 
Mr. Hutchings did not commence playing golf until, 
comparatively speaking, late in his life, but after 
this brilliant example who will be found bold enough 



96 TAYLOR ON GOLF 

to say that to learn late in life is an impossibility? 
Mr. Hutchings at the age of fifty-three is not only 
capable of holding his own in excellent company, 
but has actually become the winner of the amateur 
championship, and if one man is able to do this, why 
not another ? 

A golfer who has taken up the pastime somewhat 
late is generally safe and sure, if not exactly 
brilliant in his methods of play. He wins his 
matches by the mistakes made by his opponents, 
and provided he devotes his attention to the cultiva- 
tion of the steady game, he should do well. 

An oldster learns quite as readily as the youngster, 
and in the majority of instances proves himself to 
be a far more tractable pupil. The young man is 
apt to break out into open rebellion over the tedium 
and monotony of the slow game, safe though it may 
be, and, as a consequence, attempts to run before he 
is really capable of walking without assistance. 

But his senior is made of more solid material ; he 
is quite content to plod along with the Anglo-Saxon 
determination that has pulled us out of so many 
tight corners in the past, and will do so again in the 
future. So, to my older readers, this is my advice : 
Don't despair and think it an impossibility for you 
to be capable of playing a good game, even should 
your muscles have lost some of the pliancy of youth. 
A good instructor, and a due observance of his 




Ordinary Mashie Stroke, after having just Struck Ball. 



THE MOST USEFUL STROKES 97 

rulings, are all that is necessary, and in a twelve- 
month, provided a man displays the slightest aptitude 
for the game, he should have advanced far enough 
to be capable of holding his own in good company. 

While engaged upon these hints, a few remarks 
upon the clubs used in the game may not be entirely 
out of place. At once I should like to make it 
entirely clear to the intending player that he need 
not fear the pastime would be at all likely to 
develop into a costly pursuit, in consequence of 
frequent smashes and accidents sustained during the 
term of probation. This is far from being the actual 
case; the comic papers notwithstanding, breakages 
are wonderfully few in number. 

There are, of course, times when the playing of a 
stroke may lead up to the involuntary departure of 
the head from the shaft of a club, but such an 
accident as this only happens on very rare occasions. 
The materials used in the manufacture of clubs have 
improved vastly since the game has come into real 
prominence, the clubs themselves have been improved 
with the rise of the pastime, and there are now, 
despite the increased number of players, far fewer 
smashes than was formerly the case. 

Another noticeable feature in the manufacture of 
clubs is the tendency displayed by the various 
makers to form the heads much shorter than was 
the case even ten years ago. During this time 



9 8 TAYLOR ON GOLF 

experiments have been made, experience has been 
gained, and it has been at length discovered that the 
striking power can be concentrated. The sequel of 
this additional knowledge has been the making of 
various improvements, such as this shortening; in- 
deed, the tendency has been to make the whole of 
the club lighter and not of so great a length, either 
in the head or in the shaft. 

In this respect, though, it is important to note that 
there is not really any fixed pattern, for players 
with different styles may favour various types of 
clubs. A tall and a short man, again, will scarcely 
find the same length of shaft suit both, but although 
the tendency of the day is to shorten the shaft and 
to make it lighter and stiffer, finality of design has 
yet to be reached. 

One player may feel disposed to favour something 
out of the usual pattern, but such a thing as this will 
always occur in every branch of sport, and finally 
the club manufacturer will discover that it is im- 
possible for him to improve upon his productions. 

So, with but one word of advice, I bring my hints 
to a close, trusting they may encourage more than a 
few to follow up the game in the manner it deserves. 
This advice is — purchase the best goods of a good 
maker ; it is a method that repays a thousandfold the 
slight additional expense incurred. 



CHAPTER XVII. 
GOLF FOR LADIES. 

NOT so many years ago golf as a game was but 
a dead letter as far as ladies were concerned. 
Now, however, the case is vastly different, for a big 
boom occurred about six years ago, and since that 
date ladies' clubs and sections have sprung into 
existence throughout the whole of the kingdom. 

Going as far back as some twenty-two years, if 
my memory serves me aright, there was a ladies' 
club in existence at Westward Ho, although, no 
doubt, the course over which they played in those 
days would provoke a smile were it to be seen now. 

It was in reality a series of putting holes, just 
these and nothing more, and with not the slightest 
inducement held out for the playing of anything 
approaching a violent game. Under these circum- 
stances it is not surprising to learn that interest 
in the pastime languished and declined, the members 
did not follow the idea up with any degree of zest, 
and at length the club died a natural death. But 

99 

"L.cfC. 



ioo TAYLOR ON GOLF 

it has risen again, phoenix-like, and in 1900 the 
Ladies' Championship of the world was decided on 
the Westward Ho links. 

It is a difficult matter to assign any particular 
reason for this sudden accession of interest. Of 
course, the gentler sex has become more and more 
athletic year by year, and the bread-and-butter miss 
so dear to the average novelist of the last generation 
has passed away, probably for ever. But I fancy 
the real reason of the ladies taking up the game 
with so much keenness must be attributed to the 
fact that their husbands and brothers were playing 
day by day, and naturally they did not wish to be 
left completely out in the cold. 

In this decided favouritism for golf the ladies, 
I think, have displayed excellent judgment. It is 
not exercise of a too violent description, it is far 
superior to cycling, and it is not an expensive re- 
creation. 

While in the act of playing every muscle of the 
body is brought into use, and should be under 
control, and if fatigue is felt, what is easier than to 
rest? The pedestrian exercise involved in following 
the ball from hole to hole is calculated to improve 
the general stamina of the person engaged, so that 
golf works for the good of the player in every way. 

That there are grievances attaching to the game 
as played by ladies may be taken for granted ; never 



GOLF FOR LADIES 101 

yet has anything been invented or suggested that 
will suit one and all. Ladies' courses are usually 
shorter and do not present so many difficulties as 
a course laid down for the use of men. Here 
possibly is a more or less real grievance. I have 
frequently heard lady players complain that their 
links partook too much of the toy variety. 

In this respect the general complaint is that the 
extent of the course is far too short It cannot be 
denied that there is some little justification for this, 
though after all, a woman is not generally physically 
capable of playing over such a long and tiring course 
as is laid out for the use of men. 

But despite the differences in strength and stamina, 
I would certainly suggest that the courses set apart 
for the use of ladies might with advantage be made 
longer, while the hazards to be overcome might be 
rendered of a more difficult character. The aim of 
the designer of the alterations I have suggested 
must be to strike the happy medium in respect of 
the severity of the tests upon the course ; but as the 
Ladies' Championship is decided over a course that 
has been laid out for men, it is manifestly unfair 
to any competitor to be asked to come off a short 
course and be set such a big task as playing in the 
principal event of the year upon a long one. 

Ladies are considerably handicapped in this way, 
and although I would not advocate the making of 



io2 TAYLOR ON GOLF 

their courses too difficult, I would endeavour when- 
ever possible to secure a course of 18 holes. I say 
"whenever possible" advisedly, for in some cases 
ground sufficient in extent could not be secured, 
and it would be far better to lay out a good round 
of 9 holes than a poor, or even moderate one, of 
1 8. Still, the latter should be tried for, and I will 
attempt to prove why this endeavour should be 
made. 

It is a very real fact that the best women golfers 
are those who have learnt to play the game upon 
a man's course. They are freer in their style, more 
at their ease, and there is a noticeable absence of 
anything cramped in their play, a disadvantage that 
would probably have arisen had they learnt solely 
upon a smaller and more confined area. My argu- 
ment is that a freer style would be secured were 
the links more nearly to approach the full size, and 
this means that the class of game would likewise be 
advanced. 

As far as the actual play is concerned, there are 
a few things upon which a woman must needs be 
cautioned. It is a great and glorious pastime, but 
to get the fullest degree of enjoyment out of it a 
lady player must exercise care in the selection of 
her clubs, and see that she does not overburden 
herself in the matter of weight. 

This, curious to relate, is just where a woman, as 



GOLF FOR LADIES 103 

a rule, is most prone to make a mistake. She should 
never attempt to play with a too heavy driver or 
other club. She lacks sufficient physical power to 
properly wield it, and instead of its being the 
woman that swings the club, it is the club that 
swings the woman. No doubt the idea of every 
player who makes this mistake is that the additional 
weight is a great advantage in getting a distance, but 
this, I would point out, is quite an erroneous idea, 
and one calculated to work considerable harm in 
every case, but especially so where a woman is 
concerned. When swinging a heavy club a con- 
siderable expenditure of physical force is rendered 
necessary, the result being that instead of being 
able to play freely and at her ease, she evolves an 
ugly and a laboured style, and the damage done 
irreparably it is impossible to surmise. The task 
of controlling her club is too great, and once perfect 
control is lost, the prospect of success is gone. 

A golfer must feel that he or she is complete 
master of the club throughout the playing of the 
whole of every stroke, or the ball goes off at a 
tangent, anywhere except in the right direction. 

Putting, however, is invariably the strongest point 
in the play of any lady golfer. In this they excel, 
and once upon the green they are capable of hold- 
ing their own against all comers, no matter who they 
may be ; the reason is, I suppose, that every woman 



io 4 TAYLOR ON GOLF 

is possessed of a natural delicacy of touch. This 
delicacy is absolutely necessary when you are upon 
the green, or near the edge of the hole, so a lady 
player is in the proud position of being able, in 
one thing at least, to score over the majority of 
her male competitors. 

The weakest point of a woman's game, on the 
other hand, is generally in driving. Here it is that 
wrist play comes into operation, and the absence of 
this power in ladies militates against full and com- 
plete success. The stronger the wrist the longer 
the " carry " it is possible to get upon the ball ; so 
with stronger wrists and forearms it is not at all 
a matter for surprise that men should prove them- 
selves capable of driving a longer ball than their 
sisters or wives. 

Another fault to be guarded against, in the 
majority of instances, is the very decided tendency 
for a woman to overswing. They are far too apt to 
think that a long swing is an absolute necessity to 
secure a long drive. But here again they are wrong, 
for in so playing a stroke they simply, by excess 
of effort, defeat their object. As a matter of fact a 
short, concentrated swing is all that is required in 
order to apply the fullest possible power to the 
greatest advantage. 

The absence of sufficient wrist power is also 
noticeable in the playing of the iron and inter- 



GOLF FOR LADIES 105 

mediate strokes, so that a woman, in order to make 
the best use of the power she possesses, cannot 
afford to throw any chances aside, and must be 
careful in watching that she does not unwittingly 
allow herself to develop any bad points, always 
difficult to tone down or remove successfully. 



CHAPTER XVIII. 
WHAT IS REQUIRED IN LADIES' GOLF. 

GREATER muscular development is required in 
golf than in tennis or racquets, as far as the 
forearm is concerned, but it is beyond question that 
practice at these games develops the necessary 
muscles in a greater or a smaller degree, according 
to the extent to which they are played. A good 
tennis player, moreover, as a rule makes a good 
golfer. In support of this theory I may mention 
the name of Miss Lottie Dodd. This lady's con- 
nection with tennis is too well known to require 
more than a bare mention by me. All I need say 
is that she is also a very good golfer indeed. 

Ladies, however, I fear are not always absolutely 
obedient to the dictates of the tutor. They have 
probably spent more or less time upon the links 
watching other players, and so have formed opinions 
of their own as to how this or that particular stroke 
should be played. Then, generally speaking, the 

106 



WHAT IS REQUIRED IN LADIES' GOLF 107 

idea of a novice is altogether wrong, and it becomes 
necessary to explain it away. This is always a 
difficult task for an instructor, but it has to be done, 
and once this feat is accomplished, the pupil becomes 
terribly keen upon improving her game by the regula- 
tion methods. 

Once a lady can be induced to think out what will 
be the results of a certain method of playing a stroke, 
it is quite certain she is more open to conviction 
than a man, and she should improve quite as 
rapidly in her play. There are, of course, those 
who would never learn, both ladies and men, but a 
capable lady need never despair of being able to play 
a fair game after a twelvemonth of good instruction 
and intelligent practice. 

The best of the lady golfers are naturally to be 
found in the ranks of those who were fortunate 
enough to be able to learn the game during the days 
of their childhood; and as I said in respect of a man, 
the earlier in life you can commence playing golf, so 
much the better chance do you possess of coming to 
the front. 

Ladies whose homes are in Scotland have this 
great advantage over all other competitors. Golf 
has been played over the Border to a far greater 
extent than here in England, and at the present 
time it would be possible, perhaps, to select a team 
of lady golfers, members of the various Scottish 



io8 TAYLOR ON GOLF 

clubs, who would defeat any other similar team in 
the world. But with the rapid advance of the game 
in the south of England the standard of play must 
necessarily become higher, until, in a few years, our 
English ladies should reach a similar pitch of ex- 
cellence. 

In the matter of county golf the ladies are also 
developing an intense and ever-increasing interest. 
Club matches, too, find prominent places upon their 
fixture lists, and as they are taking up and sup- 
porting the idea from a purely golf standpoint and 
not from a social point of view, it will work very 
decidedly for the good of the game. 

This, however, has taken me slightly off the line 
as regards golf and how it is generally played by 
ladies. In a previous paragraph I spoke of the 
physical effort necessary in the act of driving. Many 
lady players are discontented with the length of their 
drives, thinking they should be capable of "carrying" 
as far as a man. But it may be taken as a good 
average if a lady succeeds in driving a ball for a 
distance of from 130 to 150 yards. On this achieve- 
ment she should feel fully satisfied. There are many 
ladies who are capable of doing that, and it is equally 
as true that there are ladies who can accomplish 
more, but the latter are exceptions to the general 
rule. 

During the progress of the Ladies' Championship 



WHAT IS REQUIRED IN LADIES* GOLF 109 

at Westward Ho in 1900, for instance, Miss Mollie 
Whigham drove a ball from the tee to a distance 
°f 2 35 yards. That was a really remarkable per- 
formance — so remarkable indeed that it was carefully 
measured, so no possible doubt can be expressed 
over the accuracy or otherwise of the figures I have 
quoted. 

Then at the eighteenth hole the same lady over- 
drove the hole in two strokes by some 30 yards. 
Speaking from memory, I should say this hole re- 
presents quite 400 yards. In this connection, though, 
it must not be lost sight of that Miss Whigham 
is quite an exceptional player. She learnt the game 
at Prestwick, and has played from her childhood. 

But admitting this, the performances just alluded 
to prove that a woman may be capable of driving 
a ball quite as far as a man, provided she has 
sufficient muscular power located in the wrist and 
forearm, and, equally as important a factor in her 
success, the knack of applying this power to the 
best advantage. 

This knack and power combined come absolutely 
from the muscles I have mentioned, and it provides 
the very strongest argument against the, in some 
cases, supposed utility of a long swing. It is un- 
questionably more difficult to apply the best wrist 
power when you use a long swing in place of a 
shorter one. In the latter case you hold yourself 



no TAYLOR ON GOLF 

more under control than if the club-head is some- 
where round the back of the neck and the whole 
club very likely to twist and curl as it comes 
round. 

Provided they could be induced to patronise a 
shorter swing, the whole play of the ladies would 
be much more accurate and effective than is some- 
times the case now ; and it must not be forgotten 
that it is this accuracy that pays in the long run. At 
the present time, I regret to say, the average woman 
is apt to be more or less erratic, but the cause lies in 
the direction I have indicated. A short swing is a 
necessity, but in all other points of the game a woman 
would be taught upon exactly the same method as 
would be pursued in the case of a man. 

Finally, a player must not be discouraged because 
she is not possessed of a wrist combining the power 
and pliability of steel and whipcord. In the course 
of time she will develop this requisite power, for, 
speaking of myself as an example, I was not the 
possessor in my earlier days of such muscles as I 
now have in my wrist and forearm. Practice, long 
continued and properly applied, has produced them, 
and a woman has exactly the same chance of so 
securing extra development in this way. 

Artificial aids to the gaining of this power may be 
used, and I think the grip dumb-bells, where springs 
are brought into service, might be useful. Still, the 



WHAT IS REQUIRED IN LADIES' GOLF in 

great thing required is practice, and provided ample 
use is made of the links, power will be secured by 
one and all. 

Regarding the playing of the game, a curious 
contrast is offered between la belle Americaine and 
her English sister. During the course of my visit to 
the United States I secured an opportunity of seeing 
a little of the American Championship for Ladies, 
and I was enabled to watch a few of the best lady 
players performing during the run of the com- 
petition. 

On this showing I have not the slightest hesitation 
in saying the American lady player is not at the 
present time in the same class as the British, con- 
sidering the best of the latter as compared with the 
best of the former. As an excuse for the American 
ladies, however, it is only common fairness to say 
they have only taken up the game very recently, but 
in the course of a few years' time the country should 
be capable of producing a team of players that 
would possess a fair chance of winning on this side 
of the Atlantic. 

And there is one thing to be said about the lady 
golfer in America. She takes up the game in a 
thoroughly practical and business-like manner ; there 
is no half-heartedness displayed in her style. With 
the sleeves of her jersey or blouse rolled up, she 
attacks golf in a workman -like manner. This 



ii2 TAYLOR ON GOLF 

wonderful keenness — I can describe it in no other 
way — must have its effect upon the game, and in the 
natural sequence of events they will, beyond a doubt, 
come rapidly to the front. 



CHAPTER XIX. 
THE ART OF MEDAL PLAY. 

SUPPOSING now that the golfer has been fairly 
started on his way, for I do not propose entering 
upon the technicalities of the pastime until a little 
later on, he is probably intent upon playing a good 
medal or match game. 

But it is a very real fact that the true art under- 
lying the merits of medal play, which I now propose 
to deal with, is probably the most difficult of any 
to be learnt. Indeed, I may say that it is somewhat 
of a rarity for one particular player to excel both in 
match and medal play. 

Taking the playing of an ordinary game as a test 
of ability, the golfer is simply set to defeat just his 
solitary opponent. He knows exactly what he has 
to do, what he has to cope with, and at every stage 
of the game he is aware exactly of how his rival 
stands. 

In medal play the case is vastly different You 
are playing against the whole field, and though you 

"3 



ii 4 TAYLOR ON GOLF 

may be perfectly aware of what your own score is 
likely to amount to, your opponents are unknown 
quantities. 

This being the case, I have not a shadow of doubt 
that medal play is the highest test by which the 
excellence, or otherwise, of any player can be tried, 
no matter whether he be amateur or professional. 

Every individual stroke in medal play has to be 
thought out on its own merits, and the pros and cons 
of the situation and its possibilities must be weighed 
in your mind. 

Under these circumstances I have but one piece of 
advice to offer : 

Play a steady game. 

This will pay you best in such a competition. 
It will serve no useful purpose for you to fall into 
the grievous fault of attempting to do too much. 
You must not go out for everything, trusting to 
fortune to pull you through successfully. 

Certainly, if you do this, there is just a bare 
possibility that you may succeed in accomplishing 
something of an extraordinary character, but then, 
on the other hand, the probability is that you will 
fail utterly and miserably in your efforts. 

During the progress of a match, where it is simply 
holes that must needs be taken into consideration, it 
is possible for a golfer to risk a little occasionally, but 
he must guard against doing this in medal play. So, 



THE ART OF MEDAL PLAY 115 

although I repeat myself, my advice is still, play a 
steady game, and leave nothing whatever to good 
fortune, or luck, or whatever you may care to call it. 

Much has been said and written about the length 
of time devoted to the progress and termination of 
an ordinary medal competition, but my opinion is 
that it would be utterly impossible to play them 
upon the same basis as the Championships. For one 
thing, and this is one of the most important, it would 
be quite out of the power of the members to devote 
sufficient time to the pastime to enable them to play 
three or four rounds. Time alone, I think, would be 
found an objection impossible to remove, for the 
clubman who would be in a position to devote one 
morning or afternoon to the contest might not, 
probably would not, be able to spare two whole days 
for the same purpose. 

During the decision of the Championships the case 
is very different. Every man present is fully aware 
of the fact that he is there for one purpose alone, and 
there is no opportunity for the exhibition of any 
display of haste. Another thing is that only 
the very best class of players is represented at the 
principal events of the year, and while one round 
might not be sufficient to settle the pretensions of 
one and all, the quartette of rounds played is amply 
sufficient to divide, I might almost say break up the 
field properly. 



n6 TAYLOR ON GOLF 

At the Championships, too, as is only fitting, a 
man is afforded a chance of retrieving his position, 
even should he be unfortunate enough to make a 
mediocre start. This, again, is but fair, for such 
a test comes but once during the course of a twelve- 
month. 

Let me give, as an instance, the Open Champion- 
ship of 1895. On that date my first round was a 
poor one, for I returned a total of 86 strokes. But 
all was not over ; I still had three chances remaining 
by which I might recover myself, and my second 
round of 78, third of 80, and the fourth and final 
of 78 counterbalanced my ill-luck experienced during 
the first round. Here again it is a real, a very real, 
question of steadiness and a capacity for controlling 
your nerves that is rendered a necessity for the 
playing of the proper game. 

As regards the leading players of this kind of 
game, I should say that Mr. H. £L Hilton, of the 
amateurs, is undoubtedly the finest score player it 
is possible to mention. He is steadiness itself, and 
never takes an undue risk. This is the explanation 
of how Mr. Hilton maintains his position in the 
front rank of all those now performing with the 
club. 

Speaking of the professionals, I hope I may not 
be accused of any desire to praise myself; but in 
looking at the rounds I have played during my 



THE ART OF MEDAL PLAY 117 

participations in the Open Championships, I think 
I may be pardoned when I term myself one of the 
representative score players of our profession. I am 
not asking for or seeking any undue credit, but I 
must give an example, and in what I have said and 
in calling attention to figures and facts, I am simply 
providing an argument to lead up to an explanation 
of the method which I employ when I am engaged 
in playing a medal round. 



CHAPTER XX. 
A METHOD OF PLAY. 

IT is a patent fact that every golfer must be 
possessed of a method of some kind. As I 
have already said, it is useless attacking the game 
in a haphazard, go-as-you-please kind of style, 
Micawber-like, waiting for something to turn up. 
When playing, my paramount idea is that each 
individual hole should be set down as possessing 
a par value, just as a security is possessed of a 
certain value in pounds, shillings, or pence. Hence 
you say to yourself, B I should be able to do this 
hole in four, this one in five, this in three," and so 
on, hole by hole, until you reach the end of the 
round. 

This means to an end is just an imaginary Colonel 
Bogey, only upon a very high scale. In your own 
mind you set up a certain standard, you are aware 
of what should be done and what you are doing, and 
you know what there is remaining to be faced. 

Method, however, is one thing, theory is another ; 
*i3 



A METHOD OF PLAY 119 

but practice, constant use and intelligent applica- 
tion, is quite as important. A player cannot in 
fairness hope to acquit himself well unless he is 
prepared to devote ample time to and to go un- 
reservedly for the game. The greater the amount 
of practice he gets through, the steadier will be the 
game he will play. He knows what he is capable 
of, he does not find it at all necessary to strain after 
effect, and he is able to control himself when faced 
by anything that may crop up at an unexpected 
moment. 

A player who wishes to be successful must never 
allow himself to think of what he has already 
done. That has gone, never to return; idle regrets 
are useless ; he must concentrate the whole of his 
attention upon what he has in front of him. He 
must not allow a bad or an unfortunate stroke to 
put him off his game ; he must think only of what 
is to come, what yet remains to be accomplished. 

The ordinary player might be thrown out of his 
stride after making a poor shot, perhaps, but he 
must educate himself up to the point of feeling no 
regret for what has already occurred. 

Accidents will occasionally happen, I am fully 
aware, but a careful player is one who will not 
accept any risks when he knows in exactly how 
many strokes he should be able to reach the hole 
he is playing to. In medal competitions (or in any 



i2o TAYLOR ON GOLF 

other, as far as that goes) you cannot afford to play 
a bad stroke, and that is the long and short of it. 

Nothing is easier than to set up, as I have 
suggested, this par value for the various holes, no 
matter what course they may be upon. Should the 
medal competition be upon the links attached to 
the club of which the player is a member, he is 
fully aware of what he can do, and has done, under 
ordinary conditions. Even in the Championships 
the course is thrown open during the week prior to 
their decision, and in playing round the golfer 
discovers what difficulties are likely to beset his 
path. After that the method I have referred to 
should not be a hard matter. 

But, and I would like strongly to impress this 
upon all players, don't get into the habit of carefully 
preserving the scores you may have made before the 
all-important day. It is a bad plan to do this, and 
I will explain why this is the case. 

Very possibly you may have played a round of 
extraordinary excellence, and naturally feel elated 
at your performance. You check the round, hole 
by hole, but you overlook the possible explanation 
that it may have happened when you played far 
above your average form. Then, when the real test 
comes along, something happens, or you discover 
you are not doing nearly so well. This knowledge 
of your present failure to equal the past is calculated 




A Near Shave! 

ONE OF TAYLOR'S ATTITUDES, AFTER PUTTING. 



A METHOD OF PLAY 121 

to annoy you, and the chances are all in favour of 
its affecting your play. Now this is a thing that 
must be carefully guarded against. You must 
devote the whole of your attention to the task in 
hand, and must not allow yourself to be distracted 
by any side issues. 

Mr. C. B. Fry has told us how he once failed 
to win a sprint race by wondering how the other 
man was getting on. It is just the same in golf; 
and once you allow your mind to wander and to 
begin wondering about the why and the wherefore, 
it is a difficult matter to get back into your stride 
again. 

Many of the players in medal competitions, I have 
noticed, go at the game in just a happy-go-lucky 
style, trusting they may be fortunate enough to pull 
through — somehow. Such a practice is really of no 
use at all. I cannot lay down too strongly that the 
great secret of success is the absolute concentration 
of thought. Never allow yourself to wander, and 
never play to the gallery. It is the steady game 
that brings the player to the fore. 

Especially is this the case when you have reached 
the green and the hole is smiling at you from a 
distance of, say, ten yards. When I am faced with 
a putt of that length my rule invariably is to try and 
make certain of the hole in 2. I never diverge from 
that. I never allow the possibility of getting down 



122 TAYLOR ON GOLF 

in I to sway my balance of thought and certainty 
of intention ; but very frequently you will find that 
as you attempt to lay the ball dead it will suddenly 
disappear from view into the hole. 

On the other hand, if you attempt to hole such a 
putt as I have described in i, the chances are 
all in favour of your miscalculating your strength 
and distance, and it may, as a result, render the 
playing of 3 a necessity, this meaning the loss of 
a stroke that caution would have rendered super- 
fluous. The proper amount of caution upon the 
green means everything to the player, for it is there 
that the scores are made or spoilt. 

When a return is made to the pavilion, and the 
players have gathered for a cigar and a chat, you 
may hear of drives that have been topped, but not 
very frequently. A golfer will much oftener talk 
about the putts he has missed, and for these failures 
he blames his ill fortune, conveniently and per- 
sistently overlooking the fact that by overstraining 
himself in the effort to reach the possible he has 
missed, like the dog in the fable, the absolute 
certainty. 

Poor putting, it may be said without fear, is the 
cause of a player's downfall in the majority of 
instances. As I have just explained, the addition 
of an extra stroke is quite an easy matter ; and 
should you make this addition at all frequently, the 



A METHOD OF PLAY 123 

difference it makes to the aggregate may be readily 
imagined. 

Score playing, however, is one of the most nerve 
trying of any contest in the world of athletics. 
Many players repeatedly fail to do themselves 
justice on account of their feeling of nervousness, 
for never yet has there been a man possessed of 
absolutely no nerves. " The invisible man " we have 
had, but the nerveless man — oh, no ! 

Despite my many years of close connection with 
the game, I admit that I never enter upon a medal 
round without feeling a tremor run through my 
nerves. But by concentration of thought upon the 
business in hand I am enabled to conquer that 
feeling of nervousness and to finally wear it 
down. 

Every man is beyond doubt affected in a similar 
manner ; but he must cultivate the will power 
necessary to grapple with these attacks of nerves. 
He must, I repeat ; for unless he is capable of doing 
so he will find his play affected in a wonderful 
degree. This self-control, though, cannot be gained 
at once ; but the mere fact of playing on and on 
and trying to think out the strokes, and that alone, 
renders the task, as he goes on, an easier one. 

The player improves as the time and practice 
go on. He does not feel too much cast down and 
disheartened over one particular failure, or too elated 



I2 4 TAYLOR ON GOLF 

over the accomplishment of a big performance. The 
real secret of success is this concentration. You 
must make yourself capable, like a batsman or a 
footballer, of playing yourself into form, and guard 
against going off with a rush and a big flourish 
of trumpets at the start, going up like a rocket and 
coming down like the proverbial stick. 

The golfer of scant experience is far too apt to 
try for a great deal too much as soon as he 
commences playing, and the result is just as natural 
— utter and complete disaster. He makes a bad 
stroke, and then he broods over it, refusing to cast 
it aside and try and hope for better things to come, 
as they will do, in the future. 

Can you wonder at his non-success under these 
circumstances? I think not, for concentration of 
thought on the game ahead is an absolute necessity. 



CHAPTER XXI. 
THE ART OF MATCH PLAY. 

MATCH play provides a decided contrast to 
play in medal competitions, as noted in the 
previous chapters, for it is play in which a greater 
freedom and latitude may be occasionally allowed, 
but in which, nevertheless, too many liberties must 
not be taken. 

Match play, I may explain for the benefit of the 
novice — for whom, as well as the seasoned player, 
I am attempting to cater — consists of the act of 
playing a certain number of holes, 18 or 36, against 
a solitary opponent ; that is, provided it is a single. 
In a foursome it is a case of partnership. But the 
single is a fair test of ability, and it is of this 
class of game I am speaking. Under the con- 
ditions governing match play a bad stroke simply 
means the possible loss of a hole ; it is not a question 
affecting the aggregate number of strokes played 
during the course of the round. 

125 



126 TAYLOR ON GOLF 

The ordinary club match is played over a round 
of 1 8 holes, one round being generally considered 
sufficient to prove the superiority of any one player, 
although personally I am pleased to be able to 
record the fact that it is growing more and more 
the practice to extend the rounds to 36 holes. 

The first heats of the Amateur Championship 
are played over a course of 18 holes, but when 
the final tie comes on for decision it is lengthened 
out to one of 36 holes. Possibly a 36-hole round 
might be better in the initial heats, but there is 
one great difficulty that cannot be surmounted. 
That is the all-important question of time. 

Were the opening heats to be extended to 
double the present distance, the time devoted to 
the decision of the competition would need to be 
extended in a corresponding degree. That, un- 
fortunately, is quite impossible under the present 
regime. 

It cannot be denied, however, that a far better 
opportunity is afforded any player in a match which 
extends over 36 holes, and it is only fair to the 
finalists in the Championship that they should be 
accorded this privilege. Just the slightest tinge of 
luck, be it good or bad, is sufficient to distinctly 
alter the complexion of the game if it is simply 
to be decided in 18 holes; but in twice that number 
a player should be capable v of asserting himself, and 



THE ART OF MATCH PLAY 127 

with the probability that luck would level itself up 
during the longer time, the best man would almost 
certainly win. 

This in itself is one of the strongest arguments 
I am able to adduce in favour of the longer course, 
an argument, too, that cannot be refuted. 

As regards the question of how best to play in 
matches, you must in a measure suit yourself to 
the conditions that may prevail at the time. A 
steady game is what I would still recommend, for 
many a man has before now won a match, not 
solely by the brilliance of his own display, but by 
reason of the mistakes made by his opponent. This 
line of reasoning will always hold good ; it has 
been proved to be the case repeatedly. 

If, however, you should drop behind in the struggle 
for supremacy, it is advisable to force the game to 
a certain extent. By saying this my meaning is 
that you may accept a few risks if you think it 
will benefit you to do so. " Nothing venture, no- 
thing have." But then, again, you must never fall 
into the mistake of going at things in an absolutely 
break-neck style. 

Trying for the impossible is suicidal, although 
it need not be quite forgotten that the playing of 
a bad stroke, or the encountering of bad luck, simply 
means the loss of the hole, that alone, and nothing 
else. 



i 2 8 TAYLOR ON GOLF 

Your opponent is quite as liable to make mistakes 
as yourself, and if you are in the proper degree 
equally matched, neither should be hopelessly out 
of the running at any time during the game. We 
are informed by medical men that while life remains 
the light of hope is never extinguished, and it is 
just the same with golf. " Nil desperandum " should 
be every player's motto, for a match is never lost 
until it is won, as I will endeavour to prove a little 
later on. 

The method of calculating play, as I recommended 
in medal competitions, is also applicable to matches, 
but you may also watch your opponent and see what 
he is doing. You may depend upon it that he is 
equally as much afraid of you as you are of him, 
and this being the case, the necessity comes in of 
modelling your play accordingly. 

Supposing it is borne in upon you that he is in 
difficulties. You must take measures accordingly. 
I would always advise the more favourably situated 
golfer to play in such a way that he makes certain 
of winning the hole, unless something quite unlooked- 
for occurs. 

A great failing, however, noticeable in amateur 
and professional circles alike, is that when a player 
secures a tangible lead he is apt to develop, more 
or less, carelessness. You must guard against this. 
You must watch your actions with a jealous eye, and 



THE ART OF MATCH PLAY 129 

you must never relax your efforts for a single 
moment during the whole of the time you may be 
playing. Should you feel inclined to take things 
easily, your opponent will not be slow in noticing 
it. He will naturally at once redouble his efforts, 
and before you have had time to recover from your 
surprise, it is within the bounds of probability that 
you will find your lead wiped off — it may be for ever 
— as far as the particular match you are engaged 
in is concerned. 

You must of necessity play at top pressure during 
the whole of the time a match is in progress, no 
matter whether you may be leading or being led, 
if you desire to do yourself anything approaching 
justice. This is essential, and should be followed by 
everyone who handles a club. 

Again, don't sympathise with your opponent He 
may be meeting trouble on every side, but you must 
steel your heart and look upon him, for the time 
being, as representing your most implacable enemy. 
You are imbued with a determination to win, and 
win you must. There will be ample time after the 
match is over to extend the hand of sympathy to 
your rival, but leave it until you reach the pavilion. 
Some men appear to possess the knack of mutely 
asking for commiseration. But be careful, and watch 
that you keep your feelings under control. The 
chances are that if your opponent plays upon the 



i 3 o TAYLOR ON GOLF 

softer side of your character he will pluck up spirits 
amazingly, and, if he does not actually beat you, 
he will make a very near thing of it. 
So — never relax! 



CHAPTER XXII. 
THE ACCEPTANCE OF RISKS. 

NEVER despair, no matter what kind of an 
opponent you may find yourself pitted against. 
If he should be a longer driver than you are, don't 
let that fact upset you in the slightest. Neither 
must you attempt to equal his extra carry when 
you are fully aware that it is beyond your ordinary 
power. Should you fall into the error of trying to 
do this, you will undoubtedly fail more or less 
miserably, and the whole of your game will suffer 
in consequence. 

It is seldom that a hole is won by a ten or fifteen 
yards longer drive from the tee, so do not worry about 
this advantage to your opponent in the slightest. Just 
continue to play your usual game, and don't sacrifice 
your steadiness to the, after all very natural, desire to 
accomplish something out of the common. 

As regards taking risks in anything, you cannot 
afford to do that even when you are leading. On 
the contrary, you should concentrate your thoughts 

131 



i 3 2 TAYLOR ON GOLF 

upon an endeavour to maintain your advantage, and 
to keep your opponent down, once you get him there. 
It is a far better plan to risk something when you 
are being led, and I am quite ready to admit matches 
have been, and will continue to be, pulled out of the 
fire at the last moment by a man prepared to accept 
chances. The thing to be feared is that after playing 
a risky shot you may discover that you are at a 
greater disadvantage than you were before. Still, 
that's the fortune of war, in golf as in everything 
else. 

You must, of course, know when to take these 
chances, and if you are far behind — well, you must 
take big ones. A steady, plodding game is useless 
then, and the only thing remaining is to go at your 
work in a determined style. 

Misfortunes are apt to occur even to the best of 
players, and if you discover your ball has found an 
absolutely impossible situation, I should strongly 
advise, as the best course to pursue, the giving 
up of the hole without further effort. Yet a player 
should not develop a tendency to give up things 
too easily. If there is any possibility of playing 
out, and there generally is, of a bad lie, he should 
be prepared to accept that chance. In advocating 
the giving up of the hole should the absolute neces- 
sity arise, it is best to take matters as they come, and 
not attempt impossibilities, 




High Lofting Stroke, just after striking Ball. 



THE ACCEPTANCE OF RISKS 133 

Floundering around and thumping away at a ball 
when it is in a really impossible position is a pro- 
ceeding just calculated to weary your muscles and 
upset your nerves. Once such a thing as this hap- 
pens your game suffers, so — go gently whenever you 
can. 

One of the very best match players who ever 
handled a club was the late Lieutenant F. G. Tait. 
He made some remarkably poor shots, but, and this 
is where he was continually scoring, he made some 
marvellously fine recoveries. 

Under these circumstances it was a difficult task 
trying to beat him, for no matter how or where he 
might be situated, his skill and nerve combined were 
so great that you never knew when you had him 
fairly and squarely down. He was capable of per- 
forming extraordinary feats, and curiously enough he 
could perform them just at the exact moment when 
they were most required. 

I recollect once, in the final of the Amateur 
Championship, decided at Sandwich I think, he was 
playing Mr. S. Mure-Fergusson. The match was a 
terribly exciting one, for the pair were all square 
with one to play. Now the last hole, I may explain, 
at Sandwich is what may be best described as being 
a drive and a pitch, with the hole situated just over 
a nasty deep bunker that runs directly across the 
course. 

Both players hit good drives, and then Mr. Mure- 



i 3 4 TAYLOR ON GOLF 

Fergusson played a second, the ball being carried 
ten or fifteen yards past the hole. Mr. Tait, on the 
other hand, in playing his second, duffed his approach 
shot, and laid himself under the face of the bunker. 
He appeared to be in a perfectly hopeless position, 
but he just managed to get out of the bunker with 
his third shot. Playing the like, Mr. Mure-Fergusson 
laid his ball a yard or so from the edge of the hole. 
Mr. Tait then had a putt of twelve yards to negotiate, 
and he managed to accomplish the feat. This must 
have put Mr. Fergusson off his balance, for he 
actually missed holing his putt, and Mr. Tait had 
thus pulled the match out of the fire at the very 
last moment. Now what did I say about no game 
being lost before it was won? 

Something of a very similar character also occurred 
at Hoylake in the Amateur Championship of 1894. 
Mr. John Ball and Mr. Mure-Fergusson were the 
contestants, and this is how the struggle is described 
by the Golfing Annual : — 

" Despite heavy rain supervening on a brief 
thunderstorm, there was a crowd of several thou- 
sands to see the final in the afternoon between 
Mr. Ball and Mr. Mure-Fergusson. Mr. Ball opened 
in a way that pleased the natives, for he won the 
first four holes by faultless golf. The fifth was 
halved, but Mr. Mure-Fergusson got the next, and 



THE ACCEPTANCE OF RISKS 135 

with three successive halves, the turn was reached 
with the local man three up. 

" Such a lead would have daunted many men, but 
it had the opposite effect upon Mr. Mure-Fergusson. 
He stuck pluckily to his work, and by winning three 
out of the next five holes, squared the match with 
four to go. Two steadily played halves intensified 
the excitement, and the feelings of the large crowd 
were with difficulty restrained. 

"To the second last hole Mr. Ball got away the 
longer ball, and Mr. Mure-Fergusson played his 
second for safety short of the bunker guarding the 
green. With his brassie Mr. Ball, on the other hand, 
essayed the long and difficult carry. Straight as an 
arrow the ball sped for the hole, cleared the bunker, 
and landed at the hole-side. This grand shot, of 
course, gave Mr. Ball the hole and the Champion- 
ship also, for the last was halved." 

This feat of Mr. Ball's was indeed a grand one, 
and it goes to prove my contention that it perhaps 
pays to take risks occasionally. Certainly Mr. Ball 
was not afraid to take them at critical moments, and 
when a big effort was required on his part. 

Since the death of Lieutenant Tait, perhaps the 
best match player amongst us is Mr. John Ball. 
He rapidly regained his form after his return from 
the front, threw off his weakness from an injured 



136 TAYLOR ON GOLF 

wrist, and jumped again into the front rank of con- 
temporary players. He is a player of the real 
bulldog order, never knowing what it is to be beaten, 
and capable of extricating himself from the tightest 
of tight places. He is also able to go a full round 
without uttering a word, but I am unable to say 
what effect that may have upon his play. 

Of the professionals I should say that Harry 
Vardon is the most dangerous match player you 
could wish to meet anywhere or at any time. One 
of the most remarkable features of his play is the 
manner in which he is prepared to accept big risks. 
He, too, has a penchant for bringing big things off, so 
that he is possessed of plenty of confidence in his 
ability to score where another player would be 
almost certain to fail. This, I think, is the real 
secret of his success. 

A few years back, too, Vardon could get much 
farther than any of the other professionals in the 
playing of two strokes, and that alone is a great 
advantage in a long hole. For two years — in 1898 
and 1899 — he also developed a truly remarkable 
facility in holing long putts. 

I speak feelingly of this, for during the time I 
have just mentioned Vardon inflicted two almost 
unique defeats upon me. We met in a 36-hole 
match, and on the first occasion he defeated me 
by 11 up, and on the second by 12. Little wonder, 



THE ACCEPTANCE OF RISKS 137 

then, that I possess very distinct recollections of 
these encounters ! 

I might say, however, that in these matches 
Vardon played the very finest games a man could 
possibly play. He accomplished something mar- 
vellous in the way of scores, and when you catch 
a man in a mood like that it is a matter of sheer 
impossibility for you to keep steady and play your 
usual game. I am not attempting to excuse or 
explain away my defeat ; all I say is that in these 
instances I found the task of keeping up to my 
ordinary form very difficult of accomplishment. 



10 



CHAPTER XXIII. 
THE BEST HOLE. 

INTENSE interest, from a golfer's point of view, 
has been excited over a controversy that has 
faged over what has been described as "the best 
hole." Naturally opinions have varied considerably 
when a discussion has been started upon this subject, 
a fact not to be marvelled at, for every player has a 
predilection for one distance or the other. 

This being the case, I approach the matter with 
much tribulation of spirit, yet I trust I may be found 
capable of adding even just a little to what has 
already been said by the leading lights of the game. 

In the first place, it is generally understood that 
this "best hole" must be subdivided. It must be 
calculated at and upon various distances ; this is a 
necessity for the purpose of comparison. These 
distances may be so stated as to include three 
sections, the one-stroke hole, the two-stroke hole, and 
the three-stroke hole. Even when this is done those 
who stand at the head of the game are still divided 

138 



THE BEST HOLE 139 

in opinion. Some, who may think their power of 
play is being better suited, may be inclined to one 
particular distance, while others prefer another. 

I would like it to be clearly understood that the 
opinions I shall express here are solely my own, 
based, it is almost needless to say, upon my own 
experience of the game. They may be quite correct; 
on the other hand, they may be wrong. But they 
will, anyhow, express what I think would be the 
right thing to aim at; so to the subject of our 
consideration without further delay. 

For the one-stroke hole I think a distance of from 
140 yards to 150 yards would, under a practical test, 
be proved to be the best. This distance, of course, 
is not a full wooden club shot, as accomplished by 
a good driver, but it is quite long enough for all 
useful purposes. A strong driver may be capable of 
getting his ball from 180 yards to 200 yards from 
the tee, but this is the exception rather than the 
rule, and the moderate player must after all be 
considered. 

Supposing that the hole is placed 150 yards 
distant from the tee, then every player possesses a 
fairly equal chance. But if the hole is placed over 
that distance, the medium driver finds himself at a 
disadvantage, for he cannot hope to get upon the 
green, unless, of course, he is particularly well served 
in the matter of fortune or wind. 



i 4 o TAYLOR ON GOLF 

Once upon the green it then becomes simply a 
matter of putting, a matter where the action of hand 
and eye, perfectly under control or otherwise, spells 
either success or disaster. 

For the purpose of a two -stroke hole I would 
suggest a distance of 320 yards or 330 yards, still 
bearing in mind, of course, that an exceptionally 
long driver would be capable of doing more than 
this in two strokes. For the everyday player, 
though, just the ordinary club man, this distance is 
amply sufficient, for it contains two full shots for the 
medium driver and an iron or cleek shot for the 
longer driver. 

In calculating this hole I am taking from 170 yards 
to 180 yards as a reasonable limit for the drive, 
leaving about 140 yards, more or less, remaining to 
be covered before the green is reached. 

Although it may not be exactly the full dis- 
tance for two club shots, it will be found, in the 
great majority of instances, that even if a hole is 
but slightly over 340 yards it becomes neither one 
thing nor the other. It is an awkward length 
if that distance is exceeded ; it becomes too diffi- 
cult to suit the requirements of all, and this is an 
especial evil that must be guarded against at all 
costs. The medium player would need to take two 
full drives and an approach shot, and although there 
are those who have laid i€ down that a two-stroke 



THE BEST HOLE 141 

hole should be from 380 yards to 400 yards in 
length, I do not agree with their reasoning or their 
deductions. 

If the last-named distance has to be covered, it 
will be certainly found to be within the compass of 
the long driver ; but it is equally as certain that it 
will prove a very bad length indeed for a golfer who 
is only capable of drives of medium power. This is 
my argument — that the powerful player must not be 
given too great an advantage over his less fortunate 
comrades ; so do not make holes to suit just one 
particular kind of player, but, on the contrary, make 
them in such a manner as to suit all players. 

As for the three-stroke hole, -this, I am inclined to 
think, is the simplest upon which authorities may 
agree as regards the best and proper length. I have 
no hesitation in saying that I consider 470 yards 
an ideal distance, one, in short, that cannot be im- 
proved upon, no matter whether you may be catering 
for the powerful or the medium player. 

The former should be able to reach the green 
by dint of playing two drives and an iron shot, while 
the medium golfer would take three full shots in 
order to reach the same spot or thereabouts. This 
would leave the pair fairly upon an equality, and 
that, I take it, is the most important fact to be borne 
in mind when a hole is being laid out. Give every 
competitor a fair field and no favour — these are 
admitted to be the ethics of British sports. 



1 42 TAYLOR ON GOLF 

The tendency of the present day, however, is to 
make every course as long as possible — a tendency, 
I fear, that very frequently is discovered to have 
defeated its own ends, for by following out this 
predilection to the strict letter what might have been 
a really good course is more often than not turned 
into a bad one. 

I am not a believer in or a supporter of what I 
would like to term " sloggers' golf." A long course, 
it must be admitted, places a premium upon the 
long and powerful driver, and playing upon it simply 
means the survival, not of the fittest, but of the 
most muscular player. 

It is only fair that medium players should occa- 
sionally be afforded a chance. We are not all 
Samsons or Sandows, and if a golfer once discovers 
a task is above his power of accomplishment, then 
he becomes disheartened, and the more delicate 
points of the game suffer. 

Quite as important, too, must be the recognised 
fact that it is not long driving alone that is sufficient 
to win a match — the approach shots and the putting 
are all-important, and call for the utmost considera- 
tion. 



CHAPTER XXIV. 
LENGTHENING THE COURSES. 

EVEN in high-class golf, as it is generally 
known, the modern tendency to lengthen the 
courses is observable, owing, perhaps, to the degree 
of perfection to which the game has been gradually 
brought. That may be the primary idea from which 
this alteration has sprung, although I think that 
were the whole of the players to be asked to submit 
their individual opinions, the weight of evidence 
would sway the balance against the innovation. 
When at St. Andrews, in 1900, for the purpose of 
participating in the Championship, I was told by 
many of those who were present at the time that 
the course over which we played was quite 200 
yards longer than they could recollect it as having 
been on any previous occasion. 

This added length may have been favoured with 
an idea of making the course of a more difficult 
character ; but I might instance my average of jj\ 
strokes for the four rounds played as a complete and 
effectual reply to such mistaken expectations. 

143 



144 TAYLOR ON GOLF 

But — and this is an important but — I should not 
like to maintain that this would have been the 
result of the play over the greater distance had a 
strong breeze been blowing against us. It would 
have been, as I have already stated, a survival of, 
not the fittest, but of the most powerful players, 
while it must not be forgotten that both amateurs 
and professionals would have been equally affected 
by the altered conditions. 

A flat course is also more difficult under any 
circumstances than one of an undulating character, 
and this all-important fact should not be lost sight 
of when the positions of the various greens are 
under consideration. The most difficult course I 
have ever played over is that of Westward Ho. 
The hazards are greater, and more calculation is 
required than upon any other links with which I am 
acquainted. 

Then, supposing the holes are placed at distances 
that would prove awkward to the majority of golfers, 
what useful purpose would be served ? 

But my suggestions and opinions upon the subject 
of holes must not be considered to indicate any 
desire on my part to abolish the ordinary difficulties 
of a course. I may say at once that I would not 
advocate the lessening of any difficulties, and am, as 
a matter of fact, strongly in favour of a course that 
should bring to the front any qualities of self-control 
and judgment possessed by the player. 



LENGTHENING THE COURSES 145 

There are some hazards, though, that cannot 
really be correctly described as entirely fair in 
their character. In many instances holes are badly 
placed, and the best players are very frequently 
trapped, even after they have played a good stroke. 
With all deference to the opinions of others who 
have made a study of the game, my opinion is that 
due care should be exercised in seeing that each hole 
is placed well clear of obstacles, and the hazards 
should only be calculated to catch and punish a 
player who, after playing a bad or a faulty stroke, 
deserves to meet such a fate. 

Muirfield, I think it will be admitted, is the 
easiest of the first-class courses — certainly the easiest 
of the Championship courses. But there are in 
many courses holes placed in terribly difficult and 
really unfair positions. This is not as it should 
be, for provided a man is aware of what he has 
in front of him, he is inclined after a while to be- 
come over-cautious and timid, and so he degenerates 
into a style of play which is not to be commended. 
To accomplish anything good a golfer must be able 
to feel at perfect liberty to play a free game, without 
falling, of course, into looseness ; but a trap set for 
the purpose of catching him at the end of a good 
stroke is not calculated to assist matters at all. 
On the contrary, the whole character of the game is 
spoilt, and so we find the object defeating itself. 



146 TAYLOR ON GOLF 

But still, this length of hole and the placings of 
the greens will provide a fruitful theme of discussion 
for all time. Take, for instance, that American hole 
of over 900 yards in length. This distance, I believe, 
was decided upon in order that Harry Vardon 
should not be able to get up in three full strokes. 
The ordinary player could not hope to get up in 
half a dozen, but I am pleased to be able to say we 
have not yet reached such a distance here in England. 

Speaking from memory, I should say the longest 
holes in Great Britain are the long hole at Black- 
heath, the fifth hole at St. Andrews, and the thirteenth 
at Westward Ho. The shortest hole I recollect is 
the second at Prestwick, about 90 yards, but that, 
though short, is good. 

Finally, the happy medium must be struck, both 
in the best holes and the placings of the greens. 
Then, and not until then, can we fairly hope to 
see the finer points of the game brought out before 
all men. 



CHAPTER XXV. 
INLAND AND SEASIDE COURSES. 

AS regards the merits or demerits of inland and 
- seaside courses, the question is of the widest. 
As for a comparison of a course, by the sad sea 
waves, with a course embowered in trees, I think 
there is but one thing to be said. It is my pet 
theory, and one shared, I may add, by many other 
players, that an inland course is far more difficult 
and presents greater tasks to be accomplished by 
the player than one that may be situated upon the 
seashore or near to it. 

Any golfer, I feel certain, who has had experience 
on the differently situated courses will support me 
in this contention. 

This very real difference is to be explained, 
I suppose, by the varying qualities attaching to the 
soil and subsoil of the two courses. Taking the 
great majority of the inland courses, do you not 
find that the soil is of a clayey character? And 
it is an absolutely proven fact that this does not 

147 



i 4 8 TAYLOR ON GOLF 

lend itself to the playing of the game pure and 
simple, like the light and sandy bottom to be found 
near the seashore. 

I may instance the playing of a shot with an 
iron club after you have left the tee. Upon an 
inland course the ball develops a persistent knack 
of skidding away from the face of the club. This 
of course occurs when you are performing upon a 
seaside course occasionally, but if you are afflicted 
by wet or damp weather inland, then indeed you 
may of a certainty anticipate trouble such as I 
have mentioned. 

The grass of the countryside is always found to 
be of a more or less watery character, and to this 
must be attributed many of the failures experienced 
in attempting to play a particular stroke. It is a 
by no means uncommon occurrence upon an inland 
course for the ball to fly off at a tangent, at right 
angles, it may be, or to duck like a wounded bird 
after being struck squarely and truly. 

This does not occur if you are playing over links 
situated by the seaside. In such places there is in- 
variably a certain proportion of sand in the soil 
which gives the turf the necessary quality. This 
" grittiness," if I may so call it, makes the face 
of the club in a measure grip the ball, and so it 
flies direct to the mark in a true line when struck 
properly. 




Top of Swing, with Cleek. 



INLAND AND SEASIDE COURSES 149 

As for the " lies " a golfer is favoured with on the 
respective courses, there is really no comparison. 
When you are inland the ball never "sits" up to 
any great extent, but on a sandy soil the golfer 
finds it possible to pick the ball up readily. 

This difference of soil naturally exercises a great 
effect upon the art of putting. It is difficult at the 
best of times when inland to succeed in getting the 
ball to keep the line of the hole, while under certain 
atmospheric conditions I do not hesitate to say that 
to putt with any degree of certainty is a practical 
impossibility. 

At the seaside it may be found that the greens 
become, to a certain degree, fiery after a prolonged 
spell of dry weather, but the ball does not take it 
into its head to perform curious circus tricks. Sup- 
pose, however, you are favoured with a drought 
inland, then it is that real fun (for the spectator) 
is experienced, for the ball bobs about in all 
directions except that desired by the player. 

In the case of inland greens it is a far easier 
matter to putt in wet weather than in dry ; but 
should the surface become baked beneath the 
influence of a scorching sun, the ball turns off 
at unexpected angles, and you are left uselessly 
lamenting at the hardness of your fate and of the 
ground. 

Should it fall to the lot of a young beginner to 



150 TAYLOR ON GOLF 

be initiated into the mysteries of the game upon 
an inland course, he discovers the difference imme- 
diately he transfers his play to the links nearer the 
sea. I invariably find the game altogether less 
difficult to play by the sea; the strokes appear 
to come off much more readily, especially when 
you find it necessary to requisition the services of 
an iron club to any great extent. 

This being the case, there is but one thing to be 
said, and that is, should a golfer learn the game at 
the seaside he is frequently quite at sea, figuratively 
speaking, when he transfers himself inland, although, 
provided he is capable of adapting himself to the 
altered circumstances, he should not find the task 
of playing himself into form a too difficult one, after 
he has tried just a few experimental rounds. 

For the first few games he may find himself " out 
of the hunt"; after that he is able to gauge his 
capabilities to a greater extent. He learns the tricks 
of the greens, and makes himself at home with any- 
thing that may crop up at more or less frequent 
intervals as he goes along. 

As for the Championships and this question of 
inland links, the premier competitions of the year 
have never yet been decided upon a course absolutely 
removed from the sea, nor do I think they ever will 
be. There is, though, one thing to be considered in 
regard to this, viz. that the younger generation are 



INLAND AND SEASIDE COURSES 151 
being almost entirely taught in the green valleys 
and dales of the country. 

Seaside courses possess a considerable advantage 
over any other, seeing that they are fairly natural 
in character as far as obstacles are concerned. 
Bunkers, sand dunes, clumps of bulrushes (the latter 
a particular feature at Westward Ho only, as far 
as my experience has extended) are not to be found 
ready made upon other courses. 

If you are forced to leave the seaside and come 
inland, what do you discover? That the course is, 
nolens volens, of a more or less artificial character, 
and that the hazards have been laid down with 
mathematical precision. 

They cannot be risked ; absolutely nothing can be 
left to chance. They are there with wide, yawning 
mouths waiting for you, and the playing of a bad 
stroke means that a severe penalty will be exacted. 
At the seaside the obstacles are more or less scattered 
in a natural way. Inland the reverse is the case, 
but hedges and trees are none the less dangerous 
because they happen to have grown naturally. 

It is also a matter of much more difficulty to play 
out of a bunker upon an inland course, for the 
reason that as it is a matter of expense to get the 
sand to the inland bunkers they are not invariably 
so well attended to in this respect as they should 
be ; while in the majority of instances the sand 
used for bunker purposes is dug in the locality. 



152 TAYLOR ON GOLF 

This, however, is a great disadvantage, for there is 
always a certain percentage of clay mixed with 
inland sand, and it cakes under the influence of wind 
and weather. Thus another difficulty is added to 
those already surrounding a player who may be 
fated to drop his ball into the trap lying in his 
path. 

Moreover, the positions of inland putting greens 
cannot be shifted with the same ease as at the 
seaside. There is but a certain area within which 
they may be made. By the seaside you are not 
faced with this limitation, for the space at your 
disposal is practically boundless. 

Then there is the sameness and monotony to be 
faced upon an inland course as opposed to the 
varied character of a course that is more fortunately 
situated. This is a great disadvantage, against which 
it is most difficult to contend ; it is the bane of many 
links, for this monotony tends to upset the nerves 
of a player, and, quite as naturally, his style of 
play, for there are the same kinds of shots, hole 
after hole. 

As for the idea that a man is favoured by the 
decision of a match upon his own links, be he club- 
man or professional, this is simply a common 
mistake. There is no advantage to a man so 
situated, quite the reverse; for he is so well aware 
of all the difficulties around him that they loom up 




Finish of Full Cleek Shot. 



INLAND AND SEASIDE COURSES 153 

before him and awe him as he plays, and the class 
of his game suffers in consequence. 

When playing upon a strange or a little-known 
course he is not aware exactly of what may be met 
with, so he accepts chances, and in nine cases out 
of ten, if skilfully calculated, they " come off." 

Seaside courses repair themselves almost naturally. 
Inland courses must never be allowed to get out 
of hand. Bunkers need re-turfing and re-sanding ; 
the grass is coarser and harder, and soon wears 
bare. Renovation must be carried on continually, 
and in consequence of the greater amount of wear 
and tear — for they are much harder worked — the 
inland courses suffer terribly at times. 

In the country the season arrives and is in full 
swing at the worst possible time of the year, as far 
as the turf is concerned ; at the seaside the links 
have at least some rest. 

What I have said may perhaps be a partial ex- 
planation of the differences that are found to exist 
between the inland and seaside courses. 



CHAPTER XXVI. 

PRIVATE COURSES— THEIR UTILITY AND 
THEIR ADVANTAGE. 

THE establishment of a private golf course at 
Windsor by His Majesty has no doubt placed 
the hall-mark upon this mode of enjoying the 
pastime — select in character, yet in all ways calcu- 
lated to advance the cause of the game. It may 
be argued that the possession of such a means of 
recreation is far beyond the reach of all but a very 
few, yet the fact remains that these private links 
are becoming more and more fashionable, and are 
rapidly increasing in number in all parts of the 
country. 

Moreover, they are also extending across the 
Channel ; they are being laid out in many cases in 
France; and although the game has yet to make 
a great and decided headway in that country, these 
private courses will assist it to reach the front 
beyond a doubt. x 

In this country the formation of these links has 
154 



PRIVATE COURSES— THEIR UTILITY 155 
been a thing of very recent growth, but one that 
will undoubtedly enhance the attractions of a country 
seat. 

By means of a private golf course week-end parties 
are provided with an additional means of recreation. 
Tennis and croquet may cloy after a while ; they 
must necessarily do so if played continually, and 
the links supplies an absolutely different but equally 
exciting amusement. 

Probably this feeling, that something additional 
was wanted, explains the formation of the private 
course. But it is not only in summer-like weather 
that it can be called upon to furnish exercise and 
recreation. If the shooting party should happen 
to be kept off the moors, or out of the preserves, 
by something of an untoward character happening, 
there is no reason why golf should not be played. 
Frost, rain, or wind, within limits, will not stop the 
game; but other amusements are far more de- 
pendent upon the weather. 

It is difficult to advise, except in a general way, 
as regards the laying out of a private course. 
"Circumstances alter cases." 

In laying out a course the conformation of the 
countryside and of the space available for the 
purpose must be studied closely, and every advantage 
it may be possessed of must be carefully noted if 
success is to be achieved. The whole of the natural 



i 5 6 TAYLOR ON GOLF 

obstacles must, as far as possible, be included in 
the round, for nature comes far before art, no matter 
now carefully calculated the latter may be. Trees 
are the most frequent obstacles to be met with upon 
a private course, and full use must be made of them. 
As for the hazards, they must necessarily be made, 
and care exercised to place them in the best and 
most favourable positions. 

The greatest problem, however, is the question of 
the greens. Upon a large course it may be possible 
to move them, to a certain degree, but upon a 
small course, once formed, they are stationary. The 
greatest care must then be exercised in seeing that 
nothing is left undone in maintaining their standard 
of excellence. 

As an instance of what can be done with re- 
spect to a small course, I might mention the private 
links of Mr. Ernest Lehmann, one of the best- 
known members of the Royal and Ancient and 
St. George's Clubs. At his Sussex country house, 
I field Lodge, Crawley, Mr. Lehmann had but three 
fields available. There are only five putting greens, 
but by playing in and out excellent holes of lengths 
varying from 118 yards to 467 yards are secured, 
the aggregate length of the whole course being 
4,800 yards. The ordinary obstacles of a natural 
character, such as hedges and trees, have been 
pressed into service, but others, such as ditches 



PRIVATE COURSES— THEIR UTILITY 157 

and small zarebas of fir, have been added ; and that 
considerable enjoyment is to be secured from a 
course of this description goes almost without 
saying. 

Space is the only real difficulty in the laying 
out of a private course, but an intelligent appre- 
ciation of possibilities will always surmount it. 



CHAPTER XXVII. 
GOLF IN AMERICA. 

GOLF to-day in America is more popular than 
ever, and appears to hold the popular fancy 
in a stronger bond of sympathy than any other 
branch of athletics, no matter whether it be base- 
ball, football, or anything else. There are at the 
present time in the United States something over 
one thousand organised golf clubs, each possessing 
a membership ranging from fifty up to seven hundred 
or over. These figures, too, it must be understood, 
are quoted without taking into consideration the 
junior members who are attached to these clubs. 

It will readily be seen, therefore, that there are 
beyond question a considerable number of players 
scattered all over the country. It does not matter 
into which state or town a visitor may go, it is 
more than probable that he will discover a golf 
links to be located there. 

Upon many of these links palatial club-houses 
have been built for the comfort and convenience 
of the members, and as a stranger catches a glimpse 

i 5 3 



GOLF IN AMERICA 159 

of these places there is one thought that rises in- 
voluntarily — wonderment as to how the devotees of 
the game spent their leisure hours before they were 
capable of recognising the beauties and attraccions 
of the game. 

It is golf, golf, golf, throughout the whole of 
the States. Every hotel mentions most particu- 
larly whether there is a course within easy reach, 
either upon their own grounds, as is frequently the 
case, or in the immediate vicinity. The influence 
of the game is such that there is scarcely a news- 
paper published which does not devote a considerable 
portion of its space to the doings of the golfer and 
anything appertaining to his art. 

In this respect, I regret to say, our English news- 
papers do not compare favourably as regards space 
devoted to our game. The American Press, however, 
have recognised that a very considerable portion of 
their readers are desperately in love with it, and that, 
I suppose, is the reason why they attempt to bring 
them more closely into touch with golf and all its 
attractive features. 

Business men have also recognised its import- 
ance from a purely monetary point of view, and 
so have displayed for sale golf shoes, golf hats, 
golf coats, golf capes, golf brooches, golf pins, golf 
costumes. Indeed, it is difficult to discover a de- 
partment into which golf does not enter in one 



160 TAYLOR ON GOLF 

shape or the other. There can be but one result 
of all this persistent advertising, and that is that 
the American public, on the whole, will have a far 
more intelligent idea of what golf is than the average 
man in this country. 

A great many people across the Atlantic, although 
possibly they may never have been fortunate enough 
to see the game played, are yet cognisant of the fact 
that it has arrived, and they also have a more or 
less definite impression respecting it. That, I fear, 
is more than we can say of the population of Great 
Britain. 

The fact of this widespread interest and feeling in 
and for the game may appear strange to one who 
has only noted the stories of golf adventures told 
from the other side of the Atlantic, but it is the 
case that Americans have thrown themselves into 
the pursuit of the game with such determination 
and goodwill that at the present time they know 
more about the game than we do ourselves. 

That golf should have triumphed over manifold 
difficulties must be admitted by the most prejudiced 
observer to be a great feat, although after all it is not 
a cause for wonderment, when its perfect adaptability 
is considered. The triumph of the game is that it is 
eminently suited to man, woman, or child, none are 
too old or too young to take a part in its healthful 
exercise. 




Full Drive, after having just Struck Ball. 



GOLF IN AMERICA 161 

For Americans, however, the game is specially 
adapted. In a nation of great commercial enter- 
prise the business men must necessarily devote the 
major portion of their time to their offices and their 
works ; thus sedentary habits, hard to shake off, are 
formed. To such as these golf is the salvation from 
all the ills that flesh is heir to ; it draws the busy 
man from his desk or his counting-house, from the 
clang of rushing machinery to the pure air of the 
links, and the exercise of every muscle in his body. 
New life and vigour is found when playing a round, 
exercise is the best physician, and so the seeker after 
the almighty dollar adds indefinitely to his days and 
to his power. 

To the honour of golf be it said that no game 
ever drew the American from his desk or his office 
as this has done. Golf has succeeded where base- 
ball has failed, and the limits of its work for good 
have not yet been defined. This, however, is scarcely 
a matter for discussion here. 

The climate of America is not so favourable to the 
playing of the game as the climate experienced in 
the United Kingdom. During the summer months 
it usually becomes much hotter than in England or 
Scotland, and the player must be prepared to brave 
the rays of a scorching sun. The American golfer, 
however, like the runner or the jumper, appears 
to be inured to these atmospheric conditions, and 



i62 TAYLOR ON GOLF 

apparently is not well suited until the weather 
becomes extremely warm. 

They are delightfully free and easy in their style, 
and while touring there I found myself only too glad 
to follow the example set me, and play minus my 
coat. In England it is only the novice who plays in 
this style ; in America they cannot but attempt to 
make themselves comfortable under far different 
conditions, and the fashion of playing in a cool 
garment, all things considered, cannot be too highly 
commended. 

During the winter, on the other hand, the cold is 
intense, and as if this were not enough, snows falls 
heavily in many parts of the country. Owing to 
this fact play is interrupted considerably, many of 
the links are wrapped in a white mantle, and golf 
is at an end, at least for a time. This alone is quite 
enough to make a considerable difference in the play, 
for a man being without practice during four or five 
months of the year cannot hope to improve or 
maintain his form to any great degree. 

The extent of the country is so great, however, 
that a golfer who may be so fortunately situated that 
he is not bound to any one place in particular by 
business ties may woo the golf goddess successfully 
in other places. When there is snow in the north he 
may hie him away to Florida. There he will discover 



GOLF IN AMERICA 163 

warm weather once again, golf in full swing, and 
players without number assembled. 

University golfers are to be encountered all over 
the country during their vacations, for all of the 
leading Universities, such as Yale, Harvard, Columbia, 
and Princetown, possess courses of their own — 
courses, too, that may be placed in comparison with 
the Oxford and Cambridge courses at home. During 
the past seven years golf has been played extensively 
at these 'Varsities, and although champions have not 
yet sprung from the ranks of the undergrads or 
collegians, leaders in the game will come to the front 
after a while. Everything must needs be favoured 
with a start, and the first-class player is not to be 
secured with ease. He is a product of carefully 
applied and well-thought-out effort, and the American 
Universities will not lag behind in the race, provided 
they are given a little longer time for preparation. 

The professors, too, at the various Universities 
take a great and growing interest in the game. 
Team matches are played between the students at 
very frequent dates, so that in a general sense 
University golf may be fairly said to be in a per- 
fectly prosperous condition. 

As regards play and players, I should place, as 
a natural sequence to his having won the Amateur 
Championship of America, Mr. W. J. Travis in 
the very first rank. His style may not be exactly 



i6 4 TAYLOR ON GOLF 

perfection in itself, nor is it a taking one from a 
professional's point of view, but — it is very sound ! 
The Garden City player is a good all-round man ; 
he is not hot-headed or inclined to accept risks. He 
is of the sure and steady order of golfers, and he has 
discovered that this style has repaid all the trouble 
he has lavished upon it. Mr. Travis, although an 
Australian by birth, learnt the whole of his golf 
while residing in America — in fact, during the past 
five or six years. My opinion, too, is that he will 
still improve, so that it is difficult to say how good 
he really may be before he reaches the heyday of 
his popularity. 

Of the lady players in America I should certainly 
place Miss F. C. Griscom right in the forefront, 
for she is undeniably the best lady exponent of 
the game at present handling a club. Miss Griscom, 
too, learnt her golf in America, but she has since 
then been a visitor to North Berwick, and has had 
the advantage of being under the instruction of the 
professionals there. This is a great advantage, natu- 
rally, and Miss Griscom's game has improved as a 
result. 

Still, although at the time I am writing there is 
a player of either sex standing above all other 
competitors in their respective classes, there is 
no possible reason why golf excellence should not 
go through the levelling-up \ process in the near 



GOLF IN AMERICA 165 

future. The pursuit of the game is being steadily- 
encouraged by the various clubs on behalf of their 
younger members ; that is to say, the juniors are 
encouraged to turn out for practice during the earlier 
hours of the day, while their seniors, having finished 
the more serious portions of their professional duties, 
are playing during the afternoons. During the 
morning the juniors have the links fairly to them- 
selves; they are only too eager to take advantage 
of this fact, and the result will be in a very short 
time that good amateur players, men and women, 
will be produced. This is but a question of time; 
players of excellent class cannot be brought out, as 
it were, to order, but the time for America cannot 
now be much longer delayed. 

As regards the professionals, they are good players 
one and all, and men who work with their hearts 
set upon the good of the game. American golf 
should flourish in the hands of Willie Anderson, 
Willie Smith, Alec Smith, the ex-St. Andrews 
amateur, L. Auchterlonie, David Bell, and George 
Low. Every man has proved his worth, and they 
are capable of holding their own with any of their 
profession. 

But when we come to consider the American 
professional, then I fear we are faced with a con- 
siderable difficulty. As was proved in England, it is 
a matter of impossibility to secure good professionals 



166 TAYLOR ON GOLF 

unless the game has grown on them, year by year, 
from the time they are toddling mites to sturdy 
youth and manhood. It is the same in America. 
Golf has not been played there long enough for a 
youngster to have been brought up on the game, 
and so to blossom out into a player of really first- 
class calibre. 

This, however, will come in the natural order of 
events, but it cannot be made to come rapidly. 
An obstacle yet to be overcome is that the caddie is 
scarcely encouraged to show his prowess to such an 
extent in America as in England. There are few 
public courses on the other side of the Atlantic ; 
even they are run by the corporations in the majority 
of instances, and upon the purely private courses 
not much favour is extended to the boys. 

Why this should be the case may be readily 
understood, for an unskilful or reckless player would 
often damage a green by cutting the turf badly 
when playing a stroke. In the case of a member 
doing this, of course it could not be helped ; but 
the boys — they are kept at a distance. Still, they 
get upon the links occasionally and knock a ball 
about, so they must necessarily learn by degrees; 
while those who have the pre-eminence of heme 
sportsmen at heart cannot altogether forget that the 
champions of the professional class must be drawn 
from the ranks of the caddies. This, then, is my 



GOLF IN AMERICA 167 

plea for generous treatment of the lads of the 
growing generation. 

Considerable discussion has been waged around 
the subject of the links to be met with in America. 
They have in certain quarters been consistently 
written up or written down, although from what 
I saw of them when I was touring in the States I 
really do not think we are such a great deal better 
off in this respect as some people imagine. 

It is true that during the winter the cold in some 
quarters is so severe, and penetrates so deeply into 
the ground, that the surface becomes cracked and 
ridged. Hence the necessity for calling in the 
services of the steam roller after the frost has 
disappeared, for unless the course were rolled play 
would be next to an impossibility. 

America is also unfortunate in this respect, that 
she does not possess a real seaside course, such as 
Sandwich or Westward Ho. Again, she has not 
so great a number of natural golf links as is the 
case in the British Isles, her courses are of a more 
or less artificial character. This being the case, men 
who play solely in America would be placed at a 
disadvantage were they to take part in an inter- 
national contest in any other country. But, on the 
other hand, I feel I must admit, in common fairness, 
that despite the minor disadvantages I have pointed 



168 TAYLOR ON GOLF 

out, the conditions in America are fairly favourable 
to the game. 

There are hundreds of acres of ground that may- 
be converted into golf links, and although the 
weather may be at times somewhat hotter, or colder, 
as the case may be, than we should really desire, 
yet I suppose the players are spared many of the 
terribly wet and dreary days we are favoured with 
in England. Again, the London fogs cast their 
opaque mantles over the courses near the great 
metropolis, but we do not experience this when we 
have crossed the Atlantic. 

Golf may be somewhat more expensive there 
than here, but considering the greater cost of living 
generally, and the higher wages paid in the manu- 
facture of golf clubs and other requisites, and then 
the universal tendency of the stores to dispose of 
everything for the lowest possible margin of profit 
■ — all these things being considered, I say it can 
scarcely be termed an expensive luxury. 

Looking at the matter from all points of view, 
my opinion is that it costs well-nigh as much to 
play golf in England as in America. We are 
fortunate enough to possess advantages that cannot 
be found elsewhere. But American golf is rapidly 
improving, and ere long American players will be 
able to hold their own in the best company. 



CHAPTER XXVIIL 
GOLF-CLUBS AND THEIR MANUFACTURE. 

AS marking the rapid advance made in all 
departments of the game, it is only necessary 
for me to remark that but a few years ago the art 
of manufacturing the various kinds of golf- clubs 
was confined simply to a few of the older golfing 
families in Scotland. Theirs was the right by 
usage and custom ; the art had been passed from 
father to son ; none enjoyed a less-disputed claim 
to control an industry than they, for it was seldom 
indeed that an ambitious outsider summoned up 
sufficient courage to enter the lists against them. 

The oldsters had established their reputation when 
the game was young, and as teachers and manu- 
facturers they had been acknowledged to be pre- 
eminent. Their prestige could not be dimmed, for 
a while at least, so they were allowed to hold well- 
nigh undisputed sway. 

But this condition of affairs could not last for 
ever. Whispers of the approaching boom were 
heard throughout the land, and at last the flood 
12 169 



170 TAYLOR ON GOLF 

tide of golf enthusiasm swept across the country. 
Players came out, not in their scores or hundreds, 
but in their thousands ; they required the requisites 
of the game, and there was a difficulty experienced 
in meeting the demand. 

Here, then, was the opportunity, an opportunity 
that was not missed, for the youth of England at 
once saw there was money to be made at the game, 
and recruits flowed in in ever-increasing numbers. 
Business men on both sides of the Atlantic recog- 
nised the fact that money and brains, coupled with 
the work of skilful hands, were required, and the 
result is that whereas at one time only scores were 
engaged in the manufacturing department of the 
game, at the present time there are thousands so 
employed. 

This was one step forward, but in its wake 
followed other matters. The rivalry in the output 
led to the introduction of what were considered to 
be necessary alterations in the kinds and styles of 
playing-clubs. 

These changes were often radical ones, too, for the 
old style of club, used when golf was but beginning 
to make its presence felt, with its narrow head and 
long, thin face, has now well-nigh passed into oblivion. 
There are places, of course, where it is treasured up 
as a relic of what once existed, but with new men 



GOLF-CLUBS AND THEIR MANUFACTURE 171 

came new ideas and new methods, and the old order 
of things had to go. 

Spoons and baffies, which at one time in the 
history of the game held pride of place in the set 
of every golfer, have scarcely been heard of by at 
least one half of those who are at present partici- 
pating in the game, excepting possibly in the rare 
cases when they have been reintroduced in the way 
of aluminiums. 

To prove the vast difference existing between the 
clubs of to-day and those in use a few years back, 
all that is necessary is for anyone interested in the 
question to pay a visit to the nearest manufactory 
or to some spot where players are wont to gather. 
A glance over the various sets is amply sufficient 
for anyone to see that there are very few which 
include more than a couple of wooden clubs in their 
number. These are the driver and the brassie. 

But how different are the drivers and brassies of 
to-day from those used by the earlier performers! 
In place of their heads being long and narrow, they 
have become much shorter and broader, and possess 
faces with a decided inclination toward the convex. 
Formerly the reverse was the case, for faces were 
concave. 

The heads, however, are not the only things that 
have been affected by the shortening process, for the 
shafts, in a more or less universal manner, have been 



172 TAYLOR ON GOLF 

similarly treated. The tendency to-day is to play 
with clubs that have the dual advantage of being 
short and light, and although there are those who 
maintain that a longer drive is possible and probable 
from the use of a longer and heavier club, the fact 
still remains that with the other variety many fine 
performances are being accomplished day by day. 

Prejudice or theory cannot be allowed to stand in 
the way of progress, and men who have used their 
brains to the best advantage where the manufacturing 
side of the pastime is concerned are not likely to 
allow anything to interfere with their lines of reason- 
ing. They are not bound by red tape or tradition 
in any way ; they do not mind following an idea out 
to its more or less natural finish, and in consequence 
we secure the clubs which are best adapted for 
their particular uses in the game. 

I am perfectly willing to admit that there have 
been occasions when weird and fearsome articles 
have been attempted to be foisted upon the public. 
Great advantages, so it has been claimed, would be 
secured by their being adopted, but unless these 
claims could be substantiated in actual practice the 
products of a too -eager brain have been left very 
severely alone. 

These experiences are to be met with in every 
path of life * it is not in golf alone. Neither does it 
prove the fallacy of any of the arguments advanced 




Finish of Swing, Full Drive. Back View, 



GOLF-CLUBS AND THEIR MANUFACTURE 173 

by the bond- fide manufacturer of tried and tested 
merit. It is to the advantage of the manufacturer 
that he should provide requisites that will assure him 
of a continued and increasing return for his outlay ; 
and it is equally certain that every article offered to 
the golfing public must prove that it fulfils the 
whole of the required conditions, or it is shelved 
immediately. 

We may therefore safely conclude that the kinds 
of clubs in use to-day have superseded the clubs of 
former days because they are proven to be better, 
and are capable of producing greater results than 
any others that may have been brought forward. 

That the bulger is a superior club to the old- 
fashioned straight-faced driver there can be little 
doubt, and although the actual bulge may possess 
a little more virtue in theory than in practice, yet 
the reason for its existence is fully justified by its 
shorter, broader head, and its face, which has small 
danger, at all events, of ever becoming concave. 

Given a long head with a straight face, and the 
golfer will soon discover to his cost that he is capable 
of pulling or slicing to a far greater extent than if 
his club possessed a short head ; but when, in addition, 
the long head has a face which is also somewhat 
concave, then indeed is the trouble doubly intensified. 

That the various iron clubs of to-day are better 
adapted for the work required of them than baffles 



174 TAYLOR ON GOLF 

or spoons, it seems to me, requires very little ex- 
planation or argument, though there may be some 
of the many thousands of players who, discovering 
that the facile use of the irons takes a long time 
to learn, are inclined to pin their faith to the old- 
fashioned clubs. 

If it is a fact that baffies possess the merits that 
are being claimed for them in these latter days, I 
am brought face to face with a difficult problem. 
Supposing, but not admitting, that they do possess 
these claims to consideration, what is the explanation 
of their being first in the field, and yet occupying 
such a considerable time in proving their advantages? 
Again, why were they so completely ousted from 
favour by the iron clubs? But I will not argue 
the question further. That the gutta ball super- 
seded the old feather ball provides no cause for 
wonderment, but that the latter should now supplant 
the former would be a phenomenon indeed. 

My opinion is this : that every club which has 
secured popular use has done so because its merit 
was its recommendation. This being so, it will main- 
tain its popularity until something better is produced, 
and then it must necessarily drop out of the running, 
as far as the great public is concerned. 

Considerable alterations have also been effected 
in the methods of manufacture. When the game 
was in its infancy, and up to a comparatively recent 



GOLF-CLUBS AND THEIR MANUFACTURE 175 

date, the manufacturer found it necessary to arm 
himself with frame-saws and rasps and hew the 
clubs into the requisite shape. Now, however, with 
his hand upon a lever, he stands and watches the 
machine as it accomplishes its task with automatic 
regularity and well-nigh human skill. 



CHAPTER XXIX. 
MACHINE AND HAND-MADE CLUBS. 

NOT so very long ago it was considered on all 
sides that the task of manufacturing golf- 
club heads by means of machinery would be an 
impossible one. This was an entirely erroneous 
impression. For to-day it is the simplest of simple 
matters to turn out heads to any required model in 
the course of a very few minutes. 

If an incision for the insertion of the lead or horn 
has to be cut, a machine is capable of doing it ; if it 
becomes necessary to reduce the shaft, the case is 
the same; if a club has whipped, still the machine 
is there to do what is required of it. As a matter 
of fact, to such a standard of excellence has 
machinery been brought that by its means a golf- 
club can almost be produced in its entirety. 

This being so, what is the result ? That where at 
one time golf-clubs could only be produced by the 
dozen or the score, they can now be manufactured in 
their thousands. 

This is beyond question. ^But is a machine-made 
176 



MACHINE AND HAND-MADE CLUBS 177 
club equal to a club produced by hand? From a 
player's point of view this is an important question, 
for he is as much interested as the manufacturer. 
It would be quite easy to argue the case from 
either side, but it can be safely left to the truest 
test of all — the test of time. I do not think it 
possible to discover a satisfactory solution in any 
other way. 

The clubs will work their own salvation, and the 
problem will gradually solve itself. Provided that 
the machine-made club is capable of showing an 
unmistakable superiority to its rival on the field 
of play, there can only be one result. It will hold 
undisputed sway. But, on the other hand, if it is 
no better than the hand-made club, its fight for 
existence is certain to be a hard one. There is a 
certain amount of prejudice to be overcome in this 
matter of a machine-made club, and golfers will not 
take it up unless they can clearly see it is to their 
decided advantage to do so. Consequently, as I 
have already remarked, this question must be 
threshed out in a practical, not an argumentative, 
fashion. 

My own opinion of the matter is that machinery 
is fully capable of fulfilling a very useful purpose 
in the way of club manufacture, provided that it is 
not required to accomplish too much, and so defeat 
its own ends. At certain stages in the forming of a 



178 TAYLOR ON GOLF 

golf-club there is a great deal of rough work to be 
done, and it is perfectly immaterial whether the hand 
or the machine is called into service. 

But after this rough state has been reached the 
greatest care is required over the finer parts of 
club-making. Should this care devolve solely upon 
a piece of machinery, then I fear the result will be 
failure, for the machine will not be found capable 
of coping with the exigencies of the situation. 

If, on the other hand, the rough work is wholly 
done by hand, I think something of a similar kind 
may possibly be experienced. The mechanic having 
expended considerable time and trouble over this 
rough work, what more likely than that he may not 
devote sufficient care and precision in putting the 
finishing touches to the club upon which he is 
engaged? These possibilities have to be faced, and 
in considering the case it is necessary to approach it 
from every possible standpoint. 

What I would recommend is briefly this: hand 
the rougher portions of the work over to the machine, 
and leave a fair amount upon which the mechanic 
may lavish his care and attention. By combination 
it appears to me that the best possible work should 
be secured and the best results produced. 

America stands very high when a matter of 
machinery has to be considered, and I must admit 
that the clubs I had an opportunity of examining 



MACHINE AND HAND-MADE CLUBS 179 

when I was touring there were by far the neatest in 
finish of any I have seen turned out under such 
machines as I have referred to. 

Competition has become very keen in this depart- 
ment of the game, it will still become keener, and to 
be successful in his vocation a golf-club maker must 
necessarily put the best of his work into his manu- 
factures. But it is impossible to turn out high- 
class work upon second-rate material, and here again 
another tribute of praise must be given to America. 

We have to thank Americans most of all for the 
aid they have afforded us in the matter of the wood 
used by the club manufacturer. Our shafts, as far as 
my experience serves me, have, I believe, invariably 
been of American growth, but beech and apple were 
requisitioned for the purpose of manufacturing the 
heads up to very recent years. 

Then we were in a quandary. The game sprang 
into popularity, the demand for golf-clubs advanced 
by leaps and bounds, and it became almost an im- 
possibility to secure a sufficient supply of hard wood 
for the all-important purpose of turning out reliable 
heads. 

The timber merchant was, like the manufacturer, 
placed in an unenviable position. He had purchased 
trees which at the first glance were apparently well 
calculated to answer his purpose. Upon their being 
cut down, however, the reverse was very frequently 



180 TAYLOR ON GOLF 

found to be the case, and if not absolutely useless, 
it was discovered that they were far from being of 
a sufficiently high standard of excellence. 

As for the manufacturer, he could not help himself 
or alter the course of events. He had ordered a 
quantity of wood to be worked up for his business, 
and found upon receiving it that it was not suitable 
for the purpose, and unlikely to act as an advertise- 
ment of recommendation of the durability of his 
goods. It could not be helped, there the wood 
was ; and although, had it been certain that better 
fortune would attend a second attempt, the inferior 
wood would not have been used, that certainly could 
not be assured, and so the best had to be made of 
a bad position, it being trusted that fortune might 
supervene and that things would not eventually 
prove to be so black as they appeared to be. 

Under these circumstances the player was made to 
participate in the general trouble, for occasionally he 
found that after playing a few holes with his recently 
purchased club, a leather face was wanted, or worse 
still, having struck a ball too near the heel, he might 
find a new head a necessity, as the old head developed 
an unmistakable tendency to part at the neck. 

This in a great measure was the condition of 
affairs at the time golf spread across the Atlantic 
Ocean to the American shores. The Americans 
were not long in discovering that the imported clubs 



MACHINE AND HAND-MADE CLUBS 181 

would not successfully withstand the wear and tear 
to which they were subjected, and naturally they 
cast around in order to discover a way out of the 
difficulty in which they were placed. 

They were not long in finding the solution, for 
in their own timber yards they had ample supplies 
of persimmon, dogwood, and hickory, any of which 
are far more durable than either beech or apple. 
Hence other woods were introduced, although it is 
still a fact that there are players who still pin their 
faith to heads manufactured from beech. Their 
assumption is that beech drives farther than any 
of the harder woods, and if it be simply for the 
very best players, there is ample wood to supply 
their requirements, but for the majority of players 
the harder woods are by far the more preferable. 

In my opinion the real difference in the amount 
of driving power of either of the woods I have 
mentioned is not worth more than a moment's 
consideration. As, however, the sympathy of a 
player has a great effect upon the manner and 
method of his playing, possibly the best thing for 
each individual to do in matters of this sort is to 
follow to a reasonable extent wherever his fancy 
may lead him. 

My experience has told me that there are players 
who instruct their club-maker to invariably select for 
them the softest possible pieces of beech from which 



i8 2 TAYLOR ON GOLF 

their wooden heads shall be manufactured, claiming 
that the extra yard or so gained in this manner fully 
compensated for the necessity of having new heads 
fitted after a use of but a few days. 

As a club-maker purely (apart from the playing 
side of a game), I think there would be reason for 
rejoicing if an army of golfers should think in this 
way, for we have ample material on our hands which 
can be used for no other purpose. As a player, how- 
ever, I must say that I consider the benefit, if there 
is one, secured by this method of obtaining long 
drives very doubtful indeed. The constant ex- 
change of clubs is not to be recommended in the 
slightest degree ; it must necessarily render a player 
unsteady, and a good honest "top" or two during 
the playing of a round would mean that far greater 
ground would be lost than could be regained by 
the few extra yards on the drive. 

But while I heartily agree that all who prefer to 
use soft wood should certainly do so, it still remains 
a fact that far superior wood is being used in the 
manufacture of clubs at the present time than at 
any previous time — a fact, I believe, rejoiced in by 
manufacturers and their customers alike. 

As a further means of strengthening wooden clubs, 
a method of bending straight pieces of wood to 
the angle required for the correct lie of the club, 
thus bringing the grain straight up the neck and 



MACHINE AND HAND-MADE CLUBS 183 

rendering it almost impossible to smash a club at 
the neck, has been thought out and put into practice. 
By doing this the necessity of sawing the heads to 
shape from the plank is done away with, though 
this is a method that is being used by a great many 
club-makers, both at home and abroad. 

The methods of rendering a club stronger, work 
for the good of the game, for it is certainly no 
pleasure for a player who, having purchased a set 
of new clubs, discovers before he has played half 
a dozen holes that the only ones then fit for use 
are those which are formed of iron. Neither is it 
any pleasure to the maker when his erstwhile 
satisfied customer returns and seeks information as 
to the why and wherefore of the clubs having so 
broken, and wanting to know what can be done 
about it. 

He may succeed in smoothing this little difficulty 
over, but there is the ever-present fear that it will 
happen again. In America the case is vastly 
different, for the golfers there are not so readily 
satisfied as are their British comrades. They re- 
quire good wood to be placed in their clubs, so 
that they shall wear for a very long time, almost 
up to the point of general decay, indeed. 

In this country the golfer is content to hope for 
the best. If he succeeds in getting hold of a good 
piece of wood, well and good. If not, he hopes 



i8 4 TAYLOR ON GOLF 

better fortune may attend his next attempt. The 
American player would be surprised at such a 
failure ; and by the aid of the material which is 
now being constantly imported into this country 
from the other side of the Atlantic, I trust that 
before long we shall be justified in anticipating a 
similar condition of affairs upon this side of the 
water. 



SCIENCE AND PRACTICE 



13 



CHAPTER XXX. 
DRIVING: THE GRIP. 

IN my previous hints to the intending player I 
laid down the general rules that would be best 
followed in learning the game, rules that are de- 
pendent for their success upon the practical use that 
may be made of them, combined with continual tests 
under the fostering care of a painstaking instructor. 

In the course of this and following chapters, how- 
ever, I will attempt to approach the various de- 
partments of the game from a more technical 
standpoint. I still maintain that the game cannot 
be learnt wholly and solely from the rules that 
are laid down in any particular text-book, but there 
is this to be said in favour of such a work, that 
information of a useful character may be afforded, 
and that the young beginner is, after reading these 
rules, far less likely to possess erroneous ideas about 
various matters of importance than had he or she, as 
the case may be, attempted to wield a club upon 
methods peculiarly his or her own. 

The driver is naturally the first of the clubs to 
187 



1 88 TAYLOR ON GOLF 

engage a player's attention. The game itself com- 
mences from the tee, and this is the club that is 
brought into service in the act of playing the open- 
ing stroke of each round, and also of each hole. 

In the pursuit of golf the first thing necessary 
is, of course, the purchase of clubs. That is an 
obvious fact, and I only mention it to repeat my 
advice that a good maker should be sought and the 
best goods purchased — it is impossible to play a 
game in any way approaching class unless the clubs 
are equal to the strain — and secondly, accept the 
mentorship of the professional by whom you are 
being instructed in this matter. He will quickly 
see by which kind of clubs you are best suited, and 
will advise you accordingly, while it is quite certain 
that a novice can possess no real ideas upon the 
matter at all. 

So ask the professional's advice, and take it when 
it is offered. This is by far the best course to pursue. 
Another thing is, that a beginner must not expect to 
shake down to the conditions governing the use of 
the clubs immediately he may step upon the links. 

He will form an acquaintance with the clubs as 
he progresses with the game, but he will need to 
play for a while before he feels perfectly at ease. 
Possibly, I may say very probably, a change will 
be rendered necessary in some of the clubs, but that 
is a matter that must be left to the ability or 



DRIVING: THE GRIP 189 

peculiarity of any individual player. To provide 
every golfer with a standard pattern is quite an 
impossible thing ; no two men play the same game, 
exact in every detail, although their styles may 
exhibit a marked similarity. So discover how you 
are best suited in the matter of clubs, and when 
found, do not change again. Once become accus- 
tomed to your club, and you make it a willing 
servant, but continual changes simply mean that 
unsteadiness is developed, and your style and class 
of play suffer. 

So much for the selection of clubs. After this 
difficulty has been surmounted, and the club is 
there ready for use, the art of gripping it has to 
be learnt. This is one of the most important matters 
to be considered in the pursuit of the game. A good 
grip spells success, a bad grip naught but disaster. 
The good grip does not usually come naturally; 
possibly there may be a hazy idea of it, but the real 
thing cannot be secured save at the expense of 
repeated trials, which are not however so necessary 
when the services of a tutor have been retained. He 
will study your style, and at once put you into the 
proper and correct way of making the most of your 
capabilities. 

I am perfectly well aware that players grip their 
clubs in different ways, but I take it that the basis, 
the fundamental idea, of the art of the grip is the 



i 9 o TAYLOR ON GOLF 

same ; indeed it must be the same, although little 
peculiarities may make themselves noticeable later 
on. The club must be gripped, not by the palm of 
the hand, as is common with the majority of un- 
assisted learners, but by the middle of the ringers 
upon either hand. This is what I may describe as 
the orthodox way, and the method that must be 
pursued. 

This grip described in black and white appears 
perfectly easy, so far removed from being difficult 
indeed that it might be dismissed without a moment's 
consideration. Curiously enough, though, it is not 
easy ; it has to be taught, and many learners have 
found it a hard matter to accomplish it properly until 
after repeated trials. 

The average beginner handles a golf-club just in 
the same way as he would a cricket-bat or a tennis- 
racquet, gripping it with the palm of his hand, into 
which it slips as it were naturally, and he pleads 
that the muscles of his hand become contracted and 
painful if he grips his club by means of his fingers 
alone. 

He will adduce arguments to suggest that a 
greater amount of power can be developed by 
gripping with the palm of the hand, and he cannot 
understand how the necessary muscular force can 
be applied by means of the fingers ; but, difficult 
as the task undoubtedly is, everyone who wishes 



DRIVING: THE GRIP 191 

to be able to play even a respectable game must 
learn to grip in the manner I have described. 

Constant and careful practice is what is required. 
Once the method of this grip is thoroughly learnt, 
the remainder is easy. Strength will come in time : 
every day spent upon the links will add to it, and 
at last the grip will come in a perfectly natural 
manner. That this is beyond all question or doubt 
the correct method is proved by the fact that when 
the club is gripped by the palms, no matter how 
strong or pliable the wrists of the player may be, 
a " locking " sensation — I can describe it in no 
other way — is felt, and the sequel is that the swing 
of the club is interfered with to a considerable 
degree. That in itself is a very serious matter, 
and it must be guarded against at all costs. 

My own grip is far removed from the style 
generally considered orthodox, but I see very little 
harm in describing it, although I might add that 
I would not recommend its adoption by all and 
sundry : young players, indeed, would find the 
accomplishment of it beyond their power. Still, 
I am not the solitary player to grip the club in 
the manner I am about to describe. Harry Vardon's 
style is very similar to mine, with this exception — 
my thumb is placed over the club. 

That is the only difference I have been able to 
discover between us, and there is very little in that. 



i 9 2 TAYLOR ON GOLF 

the conformation of the hands and knuckles being 

apparently the only reason for this slight variation. 

My grip, briefly described, is as follows: When 
I have the club in my hands the thumb of my left 
hand is kept down the shaft, and it is entirely 
covered by the palm of my right hand ; then the 
little ringer of this last-mentioned hand is over the 
forefinger of the left hand, with the thumb of 
the other hand curled around the shaft, and not 
upon it. Quite a delightfully difficult performance 
this, as I have described it; but by a reference to 
the illustration of my grip and by gripping a club 
as I have pointed out, anyone can readily see 
exactly what I mean. 

I always place my right hand about an inch above 
the spot where the leather covering of the club 
terminates, my idea in doing this being that it is 
the best means of discovering the right balance as 
far as the club is concerned. Still, this grip of mine 
is not orthodox, as generally understood, so I repeat 
I do not recommend its adoption, although a trial 
may not be amiss when the regulation grip has 
been practised and learnt. 

This explanation having been made, I may pro- 
ceed, without further delay, to a description of the 
generally recognised or orthodox method of gripping 
the club. This, of course, is not open to much 



DRIVING: THE GRIP 193 

argument or discussion, and particularly is it so as 
far as the left hand is concerned. 

When taking up his position in order to address 
the ball, the player must exercise care in seeing that 
no looseness exists, but that, on the contrary, he is, 
with his left hand, gripping the club firmly, the hand 
being held in such a way that the ringers are quite 
out of sight, excepting the third joint of the first 
finger and the joint of the thumb. 

Should the left hand be so placed that it is held 
underneath, then the player will find it an almost, 
if not quite, impossible task to get a perfectly 
natural and easy swing. The old theory regarding 
the right hand — the rule that formerly existed 
amongst golfers — is that the right hand should not 
grip the club too closely; in fact, it should be held 
fairly loose. I cannot say I am in perfect agreement 
with those who advocate this method of grip, but 
I am equally as certain that I should never advise 
the right hand to be held too tightly and as rigid as 
though it were screwed up to the full amount of 
tension. 

My contention is simply this: that the grasp of 
the right hand upon the club must be sufficiently 
firm in itself to hold it steady and true, but it must 
not be allowed on any account to overpower the left. 
The idea is that the latter arm must exercise the 
predominating influence in every stroke that may 



i 9 4 TAYLOR ON GOLF 

be played. As regards my own position in the 
matter, my grip with either hand is very firm, yet 
I should hesitate before I told every golfer to go 
and do likewise. 

To sum up the matter, I should describe the 
orthodox manner of gripping with the right in the 
following words : The fingers must close around 
the club in such a way that provision is made for 
the thumb to cover and cross the shaft, the first 
joints of the fingers, providing this is done, being 
just in sight. Nothing more or nothing less. This 
is the grip generally accepted as being orthodox, 
and the one generally favoured by the majority of 
those who decide to follow up the game properly. 
But, as is the case in everything which is favoured 
by any considerable number of enthusiasts, there 
are those who, untrammelled by tradition, break 
away and hold the club differently, with one hand 
at least. 

Take, as an instance, the case of Mr. John Ball, 
jun. This gentleman — one of the leading golfers of 
the day — holds the club firmly, not to say tightly, in 
the palm of his right hand. Well, he has discovered 
that this does not detrimentally affect his play, so 
I presume that may be taken as a satisfactory proof 
that the orthodox way may sometimes be departed 
from. Then, after Mr. Ball, I might mention the 
name of Mr. Edward Blackwell. He is almost cer- 




Addressing the Ball for Full Drive. 



DRIVING: THE GRIP 195 

tainly the most consistently good long driver we 
possess now, and his unorthodox method of grip 
with the right hand has not affected his play. Truth 
to tell, something must be allowed in respect of differ- 
ences of styles, and that is where the services of a 
good coach are most to be desired. 

Minute matters of detail may escape the eye of 
the many, but it is the duty and the privilege of the 
tutor to discover these little things, and once dis- 
covered, to blend them into a powerful whole. 

After the grip of the club we come to the position 
which must be taken up prior to the playing of the 
opening stroke — the drive from the tee. Here again 
a hard and fast rule cannot be laid down with exacti- 
tude, for the player must necessarily discover for 
himself the best distance at which to stand from the 
ball. The golfer with an extended reach cannot 
take the exhortation of King Canute, " Thus 
far shalt thou go, and no farther," and the same 
remark applies equally well to the shorter player. 
No, each man must try the distance for himself, and 
there should not be overmuch difficulty experienced 
in finding it, while keeping the intended direction 
of the flight of the ball steadfastly before him. 
Never allow your attention to stray from this, for it 
is one of the most potent factors in the ultimate 
success or failure of your game. 

This, however, does not make the task of advising 



196 TAYLOR ON GOLF 

the young player any the less difficult, for no matter 
who the instructor may be, he cannot lay down any 
rule of thumb. There is no royal road to the ac- 
quisition of this knowledge. The golfer must discover 
the proper and requisite distance, unaided by any- 
thing save his own powers of reasoning and thinking 
the matter out. Hints are all that can be offered, 
practice and adaptability are really the two things 
required. 

In attempting this proper distance the beginner, in 
the majority of instances, does one of two things. 
He either gets too near the ball, or goes to the other 
extreme, while occasionally he gets the distance by 
placing the head of the club behind the tee in such a 
position that the heel is brought into contact with 
the ball at one extremity, while the end of the shaft 
just reaches the left knee. 

This is a method pursued by a beginner only. 
As soon as a golfer begins to feel at ease with 
the game, nothing of measurement is necessary. 
Intuition plays a big part then. He knows what he 
has done and what he has not done, and learns to 
calculate the perfect distance by reason of the results 
of his earlier attempts, and he drops almost auto- 
matically into the proper position, modifying the 
distance between the ball and himself to suit his 
requirements. x 

A word of caution might, however, not be entirely 



m 




Full Drive, Top of Swing, Front Position. 



DRIVING: THE GRIP 197 

misplaced here. The golfer should exercise care 
in playing the ball, for should the distance at which 
he is standing prove to be too great, then he falls 
forward and inclines toward the tee, while, on the 
other hand, should he be too close, then he will find 
it impossible to make the best use of himself, the 
consequence being that his action becomes cramped 
and stilted. But as I have said, the persevering 
golfer will soon discover the correct distance by- 
means of practice. Care is simply required in the 
earlier stages, for a bad habit once formed is terribly 
difficult, if not impossible, to eradicate. 

When preparing to drive do not think too much 
about your position, in case overcaution breeds a 
stiffness; but take up your stand easily, with the 
feet not too far apart, as in this case power is lost 
and the style degenerates into awkward poses. On 
the other hand, if too close, you are apt to become 
unsteady and not properly balanced. The happy 
medium must be gauged, and, once secured, it will 
not be readily forgotten. 

In the actual case of driving it is a debatable 
point whether the playing off the right leg is better 
than playing off the left. I have already touched 
upon this, so I need scarcely say more than that 
the question still remains an unsettled one. Many 
players have many pet theories ; but it is an actual 
fact that the popularity of driving off the left leg 



i 9 8 TAYLOR ON GOLF 

is upon the wane, and it is not so frequently seen 
now as was the case a few years back. 

The style prevailing at the present day is what 
I think I may describe as the open style, by which I 
mean that the ball is placed almost equally distant 
from either leg, but inclining, if anything, toward the 
left. 

That is simply the style, not my recommendation 
of it; for, personally speaking, I play off the right 
leg. In doing this I am followed in a certain 
degree by Harry Vardon, although he does not 
display such an inclination to make use of the right 
leg as is shown in my own case. Braid, again, who 
holds the position of being one of the longest drivers 
in the professional ranks at the present time, plays 
the fairly open game ; but even he plays off the 
right leg more than from the left. 

Again reverting to my own particular predilection, 
I certainly should not play in the style I do, from 
the right leg, unless I had thoroughly tested it and 
had satisfied myself that it was preferable to any 
other. My settled opinion is that the man who 
plays off the right leg has possessed himself of a 
great advantage. By so doing you may lose just 
a little as regards the distance covered by your 
drive, but even that is a debatable point. At all 
events, I have found tha£ even if this should be 
the case you gain in another way by the additional 



;.!' 



! f i 






^ 



Finish of Swing, Full Drive. 



DRIVING: THE GRIP 199 

accuracy you secure over the direction in which you 
play; and beyond all shadow of doubt the player 
off the right leg obtains a far greater control 
over the ball than were he to play off the left leg. 
Greater accuracy and greater control — are these not 
well worth an effort to secure ? 

Thus we get the grip of the club and the position 
in which a player should best stand in order to drive 
off the tee. And after these, what then ? The 
swing — undoubtedly the most important thing in the 
education of a golfer. And ponder over it well, 
the most difficult of all the many things which have 
necessarily to be acquired. 

But although I have no hesitation in pointing 
out its difficulty, to the determined all things are 
rendered easy just by reason of their determination 
— if not exactly to do or die, yet to follow up a 
thing, no matter how hard it may appear at the first 
glance or the first trial, until it loses its terrors, 
degree by degree, then the golfer discovers to his 
joy that use has become second nature. 

In making a stroke in golf the beginner must 
feel assured that the correct method of playing is 
not the making of a hit — as such a performance 
is understood— but the effort of making a sweep. 
This is an all-important thing, and unless a player 
thoroughly understands that he must play in this 
style, I cannot say I think the chance of his ultimate 



200 TAYLOR ON GOLF 

success is a very great one. It is an absolute neces- 
sity, this sweep, and I cannot lay too much stress 
upon it. 

As a more practical illustration of my meaning, I 
will suppose that the player is preparing to drive. 
His position is correct, he is at the exact distance 
from the ball. All that is then necessary is that with 
a swinging stroke he should sweep the ball off the 
tee. But, if in place of accomplishing this sweep 
the ball is hit off the tee — well, that may be a game, 
but it certainly does not come under the heading of 
golf. 

Prior to the act of sweeping the ball away toward 
the green that must be reached is the preliminary 
flourish with which a player addresses his ball. 
" Waggle," if not so elegant, would perhaps best 
convey the meaning of this preliminary, the wielder 
of the club " waggling " it in order, not only to shake 
up and loosen his joints, shoulders, wrists, and elbows, 
but to assist him in getting into position at the most 
favourable distance from the tee. 

But in doing this flourish care must be exercised 
that it is not carried to too great an extreme. 
Mannerisms attach themselves very closely to 
different players, and it is very decidedly so in this 
case, for I have seen golfers of really first-class 
excellence shake the head of their club across and 
over the tee for at least a dozen times before they 




Top of Swing, Full Drive, from Behind ; showing Position 
of Hands and Right Elbow. 



DRIVING: THE GRIP 201 

make up their minds to swing round for the stroke 
proper. 

Such a procedure as this is nothing but a mistake. 
Just a shake is quite sufficient to assist the arms to 
secure the necessary degree of freedom, but if such 
an exercise is carried too far it but defeats its own 
object. The eye cannot stand the strain, small 
though it may appear at the time, the optic nerve 
becomes fatigued, and to succeed in keeping the eye 
unswervingly upon the ball is the one and only real 
secret of success in golf. 



14 



CHAPTER XXXI. 
DRIVING: THE ONE THING NECESSARY. 

IF a perfectly timed and powerful stroke is the 
object of the player, he must fix his eye upon the 
ball, or at least upon the ground exactly behind and 
beneath it; and once he has concentrated his attention 
upon that spot he must not allow his gaze to stray 
until he has completed his stroke and the ball has 
been swept off the tee. 

Many players wonder why they do not succeed in 
taking the ball off the little cone of sand cleanly. 
Probably the cause of this failure upon their part 
would be found in the fact that they remove their 
eye from the spot just a fraction before the head 
of the club meets the ball. I acknowledge that it 
is a difficult matter not to allow your attention to 
be distracted, and to gaze ahead. It would be better 
not to remove the eye from the original spot until a 
second or more has elapsed after the stroke has been 
played. \ 

The preliminaries having been accomplished, we 
now arrive at the swing proper. To play this 



DRIVING: THE ONE THING NECESSARY 203 

successfully the club must be taken back along and 
near the turf, trending around the legs as far as can 
be allowed by the movement of the arms. The right 
elbow must be kept close into the side, this action 
coming into operation before the club is allowed to 
describe a section of a circle in an upward direc- 
tion, whence it is carried by means of a steady, 
smooth, swinging movement. When the club has 
about reached half-way up, the wrists must be 
drawn inward and toward the right side, this being 
a necessary lead up to the action by which the 
club is enabled to reach the correct horizontal 
position lying behind the neck of the player. 

This appears to be a delightfully easy proceeding, 
but too much pains cannot be taken over doing 
exactly what I have described. The upward passing 
of the club — and this is absolutely necessary — must 
be a correct swing in every detail. It is not just the 
mere action of placing the club there, for the upward 
swing exercises the predominating influence upon the 
downward swing, and unless carried out carefully 
and correctly it fails in its application. As I have 
said, the swing is a very difficult thing to master, 
but it is a necessity, and intelligent practice is the 
only means by which it is to be learnt. The tutor 
may advise his pupil, describe how a thing has 
to be done, and illustrate it himself, but the learner 
cannot hope to follow in the proper way unless he is 



204 TAYLOR ON GOLF 

prepared to devote time and trouble to his task. 
The upward sweep of the club must be a real swing, 
and so must the downward sweep. Unless this is 
the case, dire failure will be the result of the mis- 
applied efforts of the careless or impatient novice. 

When the horizontal position at the back of the 
neck has been attained in the manner I have 
described, my opinion is that the club should be 
stayed in its progress, and not allowed to proceed 
further in that direction or carried below the position 
I have just mentioned. Should it be allowed to still 
sweep round it gets more or less beyond the com- 
plete control of the player, and he discovers that it 
becomes necessary to make an effort, more or less 
severe, to get it back again. This effort cannot have 
any other effect than the making of a break in the 
continuation of the swing, a fatal thing under any 
circumstances. A golfer must have complete control 
over his club — I cannot emphasise this point too 
strongly — and this full control is best secured by the 
what I will call three-quarter swing, where the line 
of the club is not allowed to drop below a horizontal 
position. 

Only a few years ago it was the almost invariable 
rule that every golfer, good, bad, and indifferent, 
should of necessity develop the full swing ; but it is 
instructive to note how matters have been modified 
in this respect by the passage of time. Golf has not 




Addressing for Drive against Wind. 



DRIVING: THE ONE THING NECESSARY 205 
stood still ; its progress has been punctuated by fresh 
ideas, and the three-quarter swing is one of the 
products of the carefully-thought-out game. 

I am not surprised in the slightest that this should 
have been the case, for it cannot be denied that with 
such a three-quarter swing the ball can be driven to 
equally as great a distance from the tee, while, and 
this is its greatest and most manifold advantage, a 
far greater degree of accuracy is secured. 

That there are always exceptions to the general 
rule I am willing to concede, and it may occasionally 
occur that a full swing comes quite naturally to a 
man who may be taking up golf. The natural golfer 
must not be spoilt, and if he is capable of swinging 
his club right round to the full extent, and still to 
retain full control over it, all I have to say is, allow 
him to take every advantage of it. 

Speaking of the majority of golfers, however, I 
am decidedly of opinion that they would, as a whole, 
play a much better game were they to be taught to 
use the three-quarter swing. It is a far better 
method, even for those who take up the pastime in 
the days of their youth, and there is not the slightest 
doubt but that a middle-aged player would rapidly 
discover himself to be beset by all kind of difficulties 
and dangers were he to attempt anything save what 
I have advised. Under certain conditions the young 



206 TAYLOR ON GOLF 

man may perhaps accept risks, but the older man, 
never ! 

Next it becomes necessary to strike the ball fairly 
and squarely with the centre of the head. We hear 
of balls being sliced and pulled, and so on, but such 
a thing would never occur were they fairly hit. But 
supposing the toe of the club instead of the centre 
catches the ball, it flies off at a more or less severe 
tangent to the right, while if struck with the heel of 
the club the ball curls away in a most exasperating 
fashion to the left. The best player in the world 
will occasionally make a slip, but provided the ball 
is hit fairly it must of necessity fly through the air 
upon its true course toward its intended destination. 

The act of playing the stroke is also as important 
as any other of the previous features I have touched 
upon, but an ounce of practice is worth a ton of 
theory. I have recommended the playing from off 
the right leg, so without further delay I will proceed 
to lay down what I consider to be the best and 
proper method of getting the ball well away on its 
journey to the hole. To play a stroke off the right 
leg the latter will need to be advanced some inches 
nearer the ball than the left, the weight of the 
body being distributed by the same method as is 
pursued in boxing, the right leg carrying slightly an 
excess over the left, although this weight would 
scarcely be perceptible. 



m 




\ 



3 




Top of Swing for Drive against Wind. 



DRIVING: THE ONE THING NECESSARY 207 

Then, as the club comes back in the swing the 
weight should be shifted by degrees, quietly and 
gradually, until when the club has reached its top- 
most point the whole weight of the body is supported 
by the right leg, the left foot at this time being turned, 
and the left knee bent in toward the right leg. Next, 
as the club is taken back to the horizontal position 
behind the head, the shoulders should be swung 
round, although the head must be allowed to remain 
in the same position, with the eyes looking over 
the left shoulder. The backbone, during the time 
these operations have been in progress, must have 
been held perfectly stiff and rigid, the neck and head 
alone being bent, and the hips being used as the pivot 
for the swing. 

The head is maintained in exactly the same 
position as the arms are brought down again, and 
so it remains until the ball has been swept from the 
tee, the arms and body, for all practical purposes, 
going through the same action, but in the reverse 
way, as in the upward swing, the body being held 
in a similar position, but with the head turned and 
eyes looking over the right shoulder at the finish of 
the stroke. 

During the progress of this downward movement 
the weight of the body is again transferred, passing 
from the right leg to the left, until when the finish 
arrives the whole of the weight has been placed upon 



2o8 TAYLOR ON GOLF 

the left foot, while the right has assumed the position 
previously held by its neighbour. 

This is how the stroke should be played in order 
to render it an entire success, but another thing must 
not be forgotten in connection with it. This is the 
finish of the stroke, or a possibly better description, 
the follow through. 

After the ball has been struck there must be no 
semblance of jerking or snatching at the club. The 
player must not check himself or allow the pre- 
monitory symptoms of a check to make themselves 
felt, even in the slightest degree. He must allow the 
club head to follow the line of flight of the ball as 
straight and as far as is possible. The arms must be 
thrown forward freely and naturally, and as a con- 
sequence the right shoulder must be allowed to swing 
forward too. 

By doing this the involuntary checking of the 
swing is rendered impossible ; but if arms and 
shoulders were to be held tightly under control and 
as rigid as steel, the stroke would be finished as soon 
as the head of the club had been brought into 
contact with the ball. Every stroke in golf must 
be played freely, every muscle of the body must be 
allowed to do its full share of the necessary work. 




Finish of Swing for Drive against Wind. 



CHAPTER XXXII. 
THE APPROACH GENERALLY. 

A PLAYER must not only be fully capable of 
driving off the tee and feeling at home upon 
the green. He must be good at the intermediate 
shots, free from awkwardness, and full of nerve. 
There are more than a few amateurs who are fully 
capable of holding their own in the best of company 
while they are wielding the wooden clubs, but a great 
falling off is noticeable immediately they are called 
upon to use the iron. There may be an explanation 
of this. I will make it a little later on, but for the 
present I will devote my attention to the business of 
proving to the beginner which is the best method of 
playing a shot that shall land him upon the green 
and near the hole. 

In attempting a definition of the approach shot 
I think it may be best described as being a shot in 
which the golfer needs less than a full stroke to 
reach the hole. This being the case, the need for 
perfect freedom in handling the club properly is 
necessary, while calculation in respect of direction 

209 



210 TAYLOR ON GOLF 

and the strength necessary to put behind the stroke 
is also required to a great extent. 

Full shots cannot be properly considered as being 
approach shots ; they are too far from the hole to be 
placed under that category, and I shall not attempt 
to treat them as such. I have already spoken of the 
use of the driver, now I am speaking of the iron 
clubs, treated fully a little later on. For any distance 
ranging from near the hole up to a distance of 120 
or 130 yards away the shot may in reality be termed 
an approach shot, and at this point I may at once 
point out clearly that it is solely with the shot as 
I have described it that I intend to treat. 

In dealing with an approach shot there are, 
first of all, two matters which must be carefully 
considered. They are, first, that the ball must 
be so hit that it is carried well up into the air, 
and secondly, that it must not be allowed to fly 
off at any sort of angle after being struck ; but, 
on the contrary, it must be kept straight. To simply 
chop away at the ball and lift it may not be so 
very difficult, but to keep upon the direct line for 
the hole is quite another matter. 

In the laying out of a golf course — more espe- 
cially so when it is entirely artificial in character — 
the hazards are so placed that they trap the unwary, 
and very frequently the good player too. Hence 
it behoves a golfer when he is approaching the green 



THE APPROACH GENERALLY 211 

to accept no risks of disaster, but to play the kind 
of shot that will bring him within range of the 
hole with the minimum amount of danger en route. 
That is why I advise the ball being so hit that it 
mounts into the air, for a hazard is generally dis- 
covered lurking near the hole, and this is admittedly 
the only way in which you can get over such a 
difficulty. 

But it must not be thought that lofting and guiding 
the ball correctly upon its passage through the air 
are the only things necessary to acquire in playing 
an approach shot properly. The player, like a 
rifleman, must learn how to gauge distances cor- 
rectly, so as to know what amount of strength is 
necessary to put behind the club. Too much care 
cannot be exercised in calculating the distance from 
the hole, for a mistake of half a dozen yards is a 
bad error of judgment, and one likely to cause all 
manner of things to happen. To secure the best 
results a player must be capable of gauging the 
distance from the hole to within a foot or two, but 
there is no royal road to proficiency in this particular 
phase of skill. Only continual practice and a natural 
aptitude will bring the necessary acumen. 

There is also another thing that must be learnt 
in connection with the approach shot — the art of 
imparting the necessary cut to the ball as you play 



212 TAYLOR ON GOLF 

it, and this again is a thing that only comes after 
steady and intelligent use of the club. 

My advice to a player is that, should he find 
himself somewhere near 120 or 130 yards from 
the hole, he should take a mid-iron or mashie-iron, 
which is fairly well laid back and possessing a 
shaft that will not sway to the touch and is suffi- 
ciently rigid not to "give" when playing. This 
is my method of accomplishing the stroke which I 
am about to describe, and I have every confidence 
in recommending it. 

As far as a rigid shaft is concerned, I am of 
opinion that every iron club should be provided 
with a shaft of this description. When you take 
the club in your hand you want to feel that you 
are holding something that you may depend upon, 
and the rigid shaft gives you this confidence. 

Then, again, when I am approaching a hole, my 
preference leans very decidedly in the direction of 
a well-lofted club. My reason for this predilection 
is not difficult to understand, for the intention of 
the player should be to pitch the ball high in the 
air and to allow it to drop near the hole. 

In the action of lofting the ball your paramount 
idea must be that the ball must possess as little 
run as possible after it pitches,, and in playing this 
particular shot I invariably play more off the right 
leg than in the drive. Again, as anyone who has 



THE APPROACH GENERALLY 213 

handled a club must know, the iron is shorter in 
the shaft than the driver, the result of this differ- 
ence in length being that the position when playing 
is much nearer to the ball. 

My grip is also slightly different, for it is necessary 
to grasp the club very firmly with both hands, 
although the grip must not be tight enough to 
cramp the wrists. The latter must be very taut — 
that is the only word which really describes how 
they must be held — yet they must not be allowed 
to develop a too great degree of rigidity. 

One of the greatest and, curiously enough, one 
of the most common faults to be discovered in the 
performances of the average golfer is that he will 
persist, against the advice of those who know better, 
in playing his iron shots with a flexible wrist. Little 
wonder that he fails to get the right effect upon the 
ball or to get the full effect out of his shots! 

I cannot insist too firmly that in playing a stroke 
with an iron the hands must grasp the club firmly, 
and that the wrists must not be allowed to work 
loosely. A very firm position must also be taken up 
when playing; the golfer must stand as firmly as 
is compatible with freedom of action upon both 
feet, but the knees, in my case, are bent just a 
little. This position does not entail any unsteadi- 
ness, and it is the best that can be assumed. 

In the swing of the club it is a very difficult, if 



2i 4 TAYLOR ON GOLF 

not an impossible, thing to say to what an extent 
it must be brought back for each shot in particular. 
Golfers vary to such a considerable extent in their 
powers and style that a hard and fast rule will not 
be workable. It should be, and is, the duty of the 
instructor to see of what his pupil is capable, and 
then to advise him accordingly. 

Briefly, I may at once say that the extent of 
the swing differs with every individual. For in- 
stance, the ability of one player may enable him 
to get his ball a full ninety yards by means of a 
half-swing. On the other hand, another player may 
only succeed in reaching a similar distance provided 
he uses a three-quarter swing. That is where the 
differences in players are found, and where the man 
who places himself under capable tuition scores an 
advantage. 

Speaking of the matter of swinging also reminds 
me of another thing, and that is that a golfer must 
not overdo the swing when he is using an iron club. 
This club is so altogether different from a wooden 
club that the stroke, instead of being of the regula- 
tion sweeping variety, is in reality more of a hit. 
The act of overswinging also tends to unsettle a 
player, and an iron shot is not the easiest thing 
in the world to play, so that you cannot afford to 
accept chances that may render the striking more 
or less of a lottery. 



THE APPROACH GENERALLY 215 

It is a fact, too, that the ball can be got quite 
as far with a half-swing or three-quarter swing as 
with a full swing. Speaking of my own play, when 
I am about a hundred yards from the hole, in five 
cases out of six I use a mashie iron with which to 
play my shot in preference to a mashie, with which 
I play the shorter strokes. 

Just previously I spoke of the amount of cut 
which is necessary to put upon the ball when playing 
an approach shot. But I might explain that if you 
find yourself a hundred yards or more from the 
green this cut is not at all a necessity; with a 
mashie iron in use the shot would be better without 
it, and just an ordinary stroke would be the best to 
be played under the circumstances. 

When I am approaching I do not, as a matter of 
general use, put any cut upon the ball until I am 
about seventy yards distant from the hole. Beyond 
that distance I have found as a result of practical 
test that the way in which a ball is lofted when 
playing with a mashie is amply sufficient to stay 
its progress within a very short distance of its drop- 
ping upon the green. The lofting influence destroys 
the run, and so the cut, which is calculated to fulfil 
a similar purpose, is not required. 

When I use a mashie for an approach shot I am 
generally inside a hundred yards from the hole. My 
mashie, I may also add, is possessed of a short blade, 



216 TAYLOR ON GOLF 

and is very wide at the heel. This is a considerable 
advantage to a player, I think, for the reason that 
the ball is generally struck near this part of the head 
in an approach shot, and the width removes the 
possibility of striking with the top edge. With a 
wide heel to the club none of this power is wasted, 
every ounce possible is got out of the shot. 

In describing my club I should say that the shaft 
displays not the slightest trace of whip ; it is as rigid 
as it can be made, and it is an inch over three feet 
in length from the top to the bottom edge of the 
heel. This, I am ready to admit, is shorter than the 
average club found amongst those carried by the 
everyday player, but I am satisfied that it is quite 
lengthy enough for the purpose, and the lack of 
inches found in the shaft I have described suits my 
requirements. I play my shots much more accurately, 
and I secure a far greater degree of control over the 
ball, than were I to play with a longer club. 



CHAPTER XXXIII. 
THE APPROACH WITH THE MASHIE. 

WHEN I am engaged in playing the approach 
shot I have spoken of as being within the 
hundred yards' limit, my position is taken up some- 
what nearer the ball than when playing a longer 
shot with an iron. My right foot is also brought 
forward in a greater degree, in comparison with my 
left, the ball itself being in an imaginary line that 
might be drawn a foot and a half directly in front 
of my right toe. That is my position — one rendered 
necessary by reason of the club shaft not being so 
lengthy. 

The grip of the club when playing the stroke is 
naturally important, for it will make all the differ- 
ence in the world. My own grasp finds a place 
near the lower end of the leather on the shaft, a 
few inches of the latter being allowed to project 
above my hands when my fingers have closed into 
position. 

My reason for selecting this position for the grip 
is that the club falls into a natural balance, which 
15 2I 7 



218 TAYLOR ON GOLF 

is essential, as any golfer will admit. The billiard 
player who studies the game and makes it a matter 
of brain power, not the mere act of knocking the 
balls about, invariably possesses a cue specially 
calculated to favour his style of play. Why does 
he exercise all this care? Simply because the 
balance suits him. As with a billiard cue, so with 
a golf club — the balance must be evenly distributed 
and as near perfection as possible, or the game will 
suffer. 

The golfer must also be careful in another matter 
concerning the holding and position of the club. 
His arms must not be held in a cramped manner, 
and his hands must be kept low down, to ensure 
the heel of the club touching the ground just a 
fraction of a second before the toe. The former 
bites through the turf without any check or diffi- 
culty being felt, but the toe does not carry the same 
weight or power, and if it is allowed to come in 
contact with the ground first, then the shot is 
robbed of the whole or the greater part of its 
force. 

After the position, the swing. In swinging I draw 
the club backward, until it has reached a point 
somewhat over half-way between the horizontal and 
perpendicular. This causes it to point over in the 
direction of the right shoulder, my right elbow being 
close in to my side and my left knee just a little 




Addressing, Ordinary Mashie Stroke. 



THE APPROACH WITH THE MASHIE 219 

inclined to turn inward toward the right. There 
is nothing approaching awkwardness in this position, 
and the great thing is that it gives a firm grip of the 
ground, or, rather, it allows a firm stand to be taken 
by the feet. 

In doing this both feet must be perfectly steady 
and firmly planted into the turf. Any degree of 
looseness is fatal to the stroke being carried through 
properly. 

Then, as I carry the club back, my left wrist 
turns under and in, in the direction of the right 
side, but it continues to be taut, and must not be 
allowed to loosen involuntarily. This turning in of 
the wrists has, as its result, the turning of the toe 
of the club until it points in a direction indicated by 
a line drawn around the shoulder rather than one 
inclining to a perpendicular position. This action is 
not an altogether easy one. It needs considerable 
practice, but once learnt it is never forgotten. 

As the club is brought down in the direction of 
the ball again the circling action is similarly de- 
scribed, but it must not be confounded with the 
ordinary sweeping stroke as practised when handling 
the driver. It is accomplished almost entirely by 
the action of the wrists; it is more or less like a 
hit, and this is how the cut is imparted to the 
ball. 

Many of those with whom I have spoken of this 



220 TAYLOR ON GOLF 

cut have laboured under the impression that it is 
imparted by drawing the club across the ball. I 
might point out that this is really far from being 
the actual case, for the cut is made up by the move- 
ment of the wrists with a verve and snap. When 
the stroke has been carried through it will be found 
that the club is pendent over the left shoulder, with 
its toe pointing toward the ground. Provided this 
stroke is performed properly, then the run of the 
ball is checked when it touches the ground after its 
semicircular sweep through the air, and it goes but 
a very short distance after it drops. That is the 
object of the stroke I have described, and it 
cannot be practised in too carefully studied a 
manner. 

In putting cut upon the ball when I am using a 
mashie I generally wait until I am within sixty to 
seventy yards of the hole. To accomplish it I 
take up a different position from the one just dis- 
cussed, and I bring my face in a more direct line 
with the hole, the impression thus given being that 
I am aiming at a point lying somewhat to my 
left. But it is an impression only. The face of 
the club is turned to the outside, the real position 
being that while I appear to be going to the left 
of the hole, my club is aiming in the opposite 
direction. To the uninitiated possibly this descrip- 
tion may appear to be slightly involved, but with 




Top of Swing, Ordinary Mashie Stroke. 



>v 




Finish of Swing, Ordinary Mashie Stroke. 



THE APPROACH WITH THE MASHIE 221 
a club in hand a player would be in a position 
clearly to see what I have indicated. My left wrist 
turns to a certain degree during the time I am 
bringing the club back, while the head describes 
a circle that takes it away from the hole, although 
as I bring my swing down toward the ground again, 
it trends round to the left of the hole. 

It might be thought the ball would also travel to 
the left of the hole, but that does not happen, owing 
to the fact that the face of the club is inclined to 
the right. 

Then, as I draw nearer the hole, I make another 
alteration in my style of playing an approach shot, 
until when I am but forty or fifty yards distant 
the ball is exactly opposite the heel of my left foot, 
my knees are bent in a greater degree, and my face 
is turned toward the hole itself in a more complete 
manner. 

In bringing the club back for the swing I push 
it farther away from my body, raising it until the 
head has reached a point just above the horizontal 
line, this being the prelude to the swing down again 
— a swing to be carried out in exactly the same 
manner as the one I have just previously described. 
At the finish the club will be in a horizontal 
position, but with this difference, that the head is 
now pointing toward the left, but in an upward 
direction. 



222 TAYLOR ON GOLF 

I am led to repeat my caution, already expressed, 
that the greatest care should be shown in this swing, 
for, as is the case in the drive, the swing to the rear 
affects the swing to the front in exactly a similar 
manner, the club after the shot has been played 
being carried through to the same, but not to a 
greater angle, than that to which it was raised when 
brought back. 

Finally — and this is a thing upon which many 
people possess an erroneous opinion — the distance 
over which the ball travels is not governed by the 
muscular exertion of the player. It is far from 
being a question of brute strength alone. The aid 
of science must be invoked, and the true working 
of the stroke is done during the backward swing 
of the club. Unless this is accomplished as it 
should be the stroke will remain a failure. Now 
I will describe how the necessary amount of cut 
is to be imparted to the ball. This twist — the 
retarding influence to its farther progress after it 
drops upon the green — is set up by the circular, 
snappy action of the wrists I have previously spoken 
of, combined with the fact that the face of the club 
is turned in a slightly outerly direction. In no other 
way is it possible to put on the cut. 

The greatest degree of success in such a stroke 
as this, when cut is necessary, is to be attained 
when your ball is resting upon turf, firm yet spongy 




Addressing for Mashie Stroke with Cut. 



THE APPROACH WITH THE MASHIE 223 
in texture, for if the lie is upon sand, or even 
loose soil, it cannot be carried out nearly so well. 
But, in approaching, except under a condition I 
shall touch upon later, lift your ball into the air. 
That is my advice to one and all — advice I will 
justify myself at once in giving. 

In approaching a hole there is a certain amount 
of ground which has to be covered. The course 
is never level, and the turf is not of the same 
consistency or power. But in the air there are no 
influences at work to deflect the course of a ball 
or to retard its progress. A breeze will, of course, 
be blowing, it may be in gusts, or possibly with 
a steady breath. But this only helps to develop 
the true art of golf and the capabilities of the 
player. He calculates mentally at what rate per 
hour or minute the wind is blowing, he notices the 
quarter from whence it is coming, and he works out 
in his mind what effect it will have upon the ball 
during the time it is suspended in space. This 
calculation being made, the shot must be played 
in accordance with it, due allowance being given, 
as in firing at a target, for the deflection that will 
be caused naturally by the influence of the breeze 
that is blowing. 

Should there be a hazard between your ball and 
the hole, then you must of necessity pitch your 
ball up; but even if the turf is -apparently free 



224 TAYLOR ON GOLF 

from obstacle, I maintain that the same thing should 
be done. Just a patch of uneven grass or coarser 
herbage is amply sufficient to turn the best-laid 
plans agley, and a fractional part of an inch may 
be a serious matter at times. Although I am 
willing to admit that the pitched-up shot is diffi- 
cult of acquirement, its utility when learnt far 
outweighs the initial time of trouble and disap- 
pointment. I contend it is the truest form of golf, 
and that every player who desires to reach the front 
rank amongst his contemporaries must learn it. 

There are times, however, when this pitched-up 
shot cannot be played with any real hopes of success. 
If your ball is found to have pitched upon soft, 
sandy ground, then you must needs modify matters 
accordingly, and fall back as a last resource upon 
what I will describe as the running-up approach 
shot. That is the only shot that can be played 
under the circumstances; to attempt any other would 
simply mean that you were courting disaster. 

In playing this running-up approach shot the 
swing is very much shortened, for at the top of it 
the club should not pass a point upon a level with 
the knees, the position of the feet and body being 
similar to that taken up when playing the lofted 
approach shots previously alluded to. The wrists, 
however, must be kept absolutely rigid. Too much 
attention cannot be paid to this, for it is the out- 




Top of {Swing, Mashie Stroke, with Cut. 



THE APPROACH WITH THE MASHIE 225 

standing feature of the whole stroke, the latter being 
accomplished by the work of the body and the 
turn from the hips. 

The golfer need not waste a thought upon im- 
parting cut to the ball when he plays this kind of 
stroke, for such a thing is quite unnecessary. All 
that remains to be done is to so play that the arms 
are pushed out after the ball without the semblance 
of hesitation or check, and that the club is so held 
that the blade puts plenty of running power upon 
the ball after the latter has touched the ground. 

This running-up approach shot is not nearly of 
so difficult a character as the lofted variety, so I 
suppose that is why the majority of players use it. 

In conclusion, I should like to point out that the 
amateur would be well advised were he to perfect 
himself thoroughly in the use of his iron clubs. 
It is generally admitted that the professional golfer 
is far stronger in his intermediate strokes than the 
man who follows the game merely in the light of 
a pastime, and so I suppose it will continue. 

The reason, I think, is that the wrists of the 
amateur golfer are not so powerful as those of a 
professional. The latter is playing the game, day 
in and day out, very nearly the whole year round, 
whereas business or social duties will not allow the 
amateur to participate in the sport to such an 
extent. Naturally his wrists and the muscles of 



226 TAYLOR ON GOLF 

his forearms are not exercised and used to such 
an extent, while it is an undeniable fact that the 
iron clubs call for a far greater measure of exertion 
on the part of this portion of a man's anatomy than 
the wooden clubs. 

With the driver, brassie, and putter there are 
many amateurs who are capable of holding their 
own with the average professional, but when called 
upon for an iron shot they lose ground. So it 
will continue to the end of all time, presupposing, 
of course, that the amateur does not apply himself 
to his task so strenuously as the paid player. 




•■".■ :.,_.,-... ■_ : 



Finish of Mashie Stroke, with Cut. 



CHAPTER XXXIV. 
THE USE OF THE CLEEK. 

FASHIONS vary in golf as in everything else, 
and it must be admitted that at the present 
time that most useful club, the cleek, is not used by 
golfers to nearly so great an extent as was the case 
only a very few years ago. It has not been dropped 
entirely, it has simply been ousted from its former 
position in a measure, but in a way that may be 
readily explained. 

The average player has not been long in discover- 
ing that the cleek is a somewhat difficult club with 
which to play. Then he or she has looked round 
for something to fill its place, and that something has 
been found ready to their hand. The driving mashie 
has filled the need admirably, and the golfer, speak- 
ing in a general sense, has discovered that the mashie 
is a far easier club with which to play. Hence the 
change has been made, and once anything has lost 
its grip, then it is a difficult matter for it to regain its 
former position. 

One advantage possessed by the mashie lies in its 
227 



228 TAYLOR ON GOLF 

shorter face. That is an advantage, I am ready to 
admit, but when a cleek is brought into use it is 
generally when the lie is of such a character that the 
brassie cannot do the work that is expected from it. 

The brassie cannot be used when the ball is in a 
bad lie, in a half-cupped position, for instance. Then 
it is that the cleek might be used, but, on the other 
hand, so might the mashie. The long face of the 
cleek may be found incapable of fitting into the 
conformation of the ground so well, and this is, in 
my opinion, the real reason why the cleek is not so 
generally used now as was the case before the mashie 
was so well known. 

There are, however, among the leading players 
some who still hold to their belief in the club. 
Mr. John Ball, of the amateurs, is a good player 
with the cleek. He will use it at the strokes as they 
may occur, and he has had no reason to find fault 
with the success he has attained. Then there is 
James Braid, of the professionals, who is quite at 
home with the cleek. He, of course, knows when it 
can be used to the greatest advantage. Both are 
thoroughly at home in the use of this club. Why 
should their example not be followed, using, I need 
scarcely say, a wise discrimination in the time and 
occasion when it should be pressed into service? 

In offering instruction in the art of how best to 
use the cleek there are two things to be considered : 




Addressing with Cleek for Full Stroke. 




Top of Swing with Cleek for Pull Stroke. 




■aUKHHH 

Finish of Swing with Cleek for Full Stroke. 



THE USE OF THE CLEEK 229 

the height and reach of the player. The shorter 
man must not stand at the same distance from the 
ball as the taller, so it is impossible to lay down a 
hard and fast rule. Each player must take up the 
position pointed out to him by the instructor as 
that from which the best results are to be secured. 
As a general rule, it may be taken that in using 
the cleek the golfer must of necessity stand closer 
to the ball than were he to be playing with a club 
such as the brassie. 

This position is necessary, as the stroke in which 
the cleek is used is more of the nature of a hit than 
a swing. There is a greater degree of leverage 
required in the playing of the stroke, and this lever- 
age is secured by standing closer. This, indeed, 
must be the absolute rule in playing all full strokes 
with an iron club. 

There is also another thing that cannot be too 
carefully guarded against. That is the overswing. 
In playing with an iron club the one thing that is 
really necessary is that the swing should be of the 
three-quarter variety. In doing this the greatest 
command is secured over the ball and the playing 
of a good stroke is made more of a certainty. 

Care must be exercised in the bringing of the club 
down from the top of the swing. It must be brought 
down smartly, with a firm grip of both hands, 
although rigidity must not be mistaken for this 



2 3 o TAYLOR ON GOLF 

firmness about which I am speaking. There must 
be flexibility with it, but not the slightest trace of 
looseness, and this is one of the things that go to 
make the stroke so difficult of accomplishment. The 
wrists must not be allowed to become rigid. All 
the successful players that I have met combine firm- 
ness with flexibility. 

It is a matter particularly affecting the wrists, and 
should a golfer be troubled with traces of weakness 
here, then it is that he will find the difficulty increased 
when he comes to play the stroke. He labours under 
a considerable disadvantage. But persistent practice 
will strengthen the wrists, and there is no royal road, 
other than this, by which proficiency in the game 
is to be secured. 

There is not such an amount of follow -through 
in the playing of a stroke with the cleek as there is 
with a driver or the brassie, although when the finish 
of the stroke is arrived at there must not be a sudden 
stoppage of the club. The stroke must terminate 
smoothly. There must be no stabbing or sudden 
stopping, which will set up a jerk. If there is this 
jerk, then the proper character of the stroke is lost, 
and it suffers accordingly. 

At the moment of the impact of the head of the 
club with the ball the grip must be tense, not with 
the fingers alone, but with the wrists also. The club 
must not be allowed to sway about; the player must 




Addressing with Cleek for Low Shot against Wind. 



r 










Top of Swing with Cleek for Low Shot against Wind. 



THE USE OF THE CLEEK 231 

be a perfect master of it. Unless this is done nothing 
will save the stroke from failing, and I regret to say- 
it is in this particular point in their play that many- 
are apt to fail. 

Still, there is no reason to become disheartened, 
even if you are not successful at first. Continual 
practice is the only way in which the inability to 
play properly is to be overcome. It is equally as 
easy to slice or hook a ball with the cleek as with 
a driver, and if this is done then measures must be 
taken to overcome this failure to play the stroke 
properly. A learner may be told how any stroke 
must be played, but it rests with himself to apply 
the teaching successfully. 

One of the most general mistakes is, that though 
the club is gripped tightly with the fingers, yet 
sufficient attention is not paid to the wrist work. 
Any tendency to looseness must be overcome. 

In playing the ordinary stroke with the cleek the 
ball is in a position fairly equidistant between the 
two feet. There is no hard and fast rule in this 
respect ; it is a matter to be settled by the individual 
player; but the distance should, in the majority of 
instances, be as I have just stated. The right foot 
should be slightly advanced, and the knees should be 
slightly bent This is an important point in the 
playing of the stroke. The golfer should see that 



232 TAYLOR ON GOLF 

the knees are never straightened ; it is a too common 
fault, and one that is readily fallen into. 

Another thing is that the weight should be fairly 
distributed, but rather more upon the right leg than 
upon the left. This, with a slight stoop of the back, 
all conduces to steadiness of play. In bringing the 
club up to the top of the swing the action must 
be smooth and even, and the left knee must be 
slightly bent and turned inward toward the right leg. 

The latter, meanwhile, must not be allowed to shift 
from the position taken up when the ball is first 
addressed. This is important. If it is not firm the 
stroke will be affected ; while even after the ball has 
been struck it must not be allowed to move to an 
extent equal to that seen when playing with such a 
club as the driver. 

Firmness and stability are two things that are to 
be remembered. They are, in my opinion, best 
secured by playing off the right leg, and nothing 
must be allowed to interfere with their being carried 
out. 

As for the grip, it should be near the bottom of 
the leather in every case. This is more especially 
necessary when a stroke is being played with an iron 
club, for the weight is evenly balanced and distributed 
to better advantage than were the grip at the extreme 
top of the shaft. 




Finish of Swing with Cleek for Low Shot against Wind. 




Finish of Swing, Half Shot with Cleek. 



CHAPTER XXXV. 
THE IRON AND THE SHORT APPROACH. 

AGAIN returning to details. In playing with 
-£~ V. the iron the stance is different from that taken 
in the case of any other club. The right foot must 
be advanced, and the left thrown back, with the ball 
on a line that will be nearer the right foot than in 
the playing of a stroke with the cleek. The posi- 
tion of the hands is also different, for they must of 
necessity be held low, in order to bring the heel of 
the club fairly on to the ground. When addressing 
the ball the hands must also be thrown slightly 
forward, so that, supposing a line were dropped 
from the knuckles to the turf, it would touch the 
ground slightly in advance of the ball. 

The distance of the player from the ball, when 
addressing it, must, as in other strokes, be regulated 
by the height and the reach of the wielder of the 
club. There is also an appreciable difference in the 
swing ; it is not so great, nor is the club taken so far 
back as in the using of the cleek. It is a matter of 
considerable difficulty to describe this swing; it can 
16 233 



234 TAYLOR ON GOLF 

be readily shown when upon the golf course. There 
is but a little difference, and yet this little difference 
makes all the difference. 

In using the iron the stroke is of the sharp, nippy 
variety, played from the wrist. Here, as in the other 
strokes I have described, the man with the powerful, 
flexible wrists has an advantage ; but with practice 
a player will discover that strokes will come readily 
to him that he could not even attempt at the com- 
mencement of his handling of the club. 

The follow -through with the iron is of a lesser 
degree than when the cleek is being used, for here 
again the stroke played is more of a hit. As I 
have already pointed out — but we cannot be too 
careful in this respect — there is more rigidity re- 
quired when playing with an iron club than when 
playing with a wooden club; but here again stiff- 
ness and a cramped style must not be mistaken for 
the real thing. 

The weight of the body, when the stroke is being 
played, must be allowed to rest on the right leg, and 
this leg must not be allowed to change its position 
during the playing of the stroke. If it is so allowed 
to shift, then the weight goes with it, and the sequel 
is that the balance is at once destroyed. 

As the club is taken up to the top of the swing, 
the left knee should corr\e slightly forward and 
inward in the direction of the right leg, and the 




Address with Iron for Pitch and Run. 




Top of Swing with Iron for, Pitch and Run. 



THE IRON AND SHORT APPROACH 235 
heel of the left foot should be allowed to leave the 
ground, but not more than a couple of inches. 

In connection with the swing I do not advocate 
one of so great an extent as with the wooden club, 
in consequence of the difference in these clubs. The 
overswing is to be avoided ; it will affect the accuracy 
of the stroke. This, and this alone, is why I have 
advised such a modification of the rules governing 
the use of the driver and the brassie. 

All players should also cultivate the art of playing 
various strokes that are calculated to improve their 
game under different atmospheric conditions. Let us 
take, as an instance, the game that should be played 
supposing the golfer were so placed that he must go 
out or come home in the teeth of a stiff breeze. 
Even to the meanest intelligence it would be 
apparent that there would be a very great reason 
for not playing the ordinary game under these 
circumstances. The most useful stroke would be 
that of the low variety, where the ball, instead of 
soaring high into the air and so being deflected out 
of its proper course by the force of the wind, is kept 
near the ground, and so escapes in a great measure 
all influences save those exercised by the player. 

This is about the most telling stroke that is 
possible to be played with an iron club. When 
addressing the ball for this kind of shot, the golfer 
should take up a position in which he is standing 



236 TAYLOR ON GOLF 

closer to, and more over, the ball. The latter should 
also be nearer the right foot, on an imaginary line 
that would come almost opposite the right toe. The 
grip of the club must not show a trace of looseness; 
it must be firm, and yet not at all cramped. The 
hands must be thrown still farther forward, so that 
when the head of the club touches the ball they must 
be slightly in advance of the latter. 

Then, in taking the club back, the head must only 
be allowed to come but very slightly higher than in 
a line drawn on a level with the shoulders. The 
tendency is generally to overswing, and it must be 
guarded against in this particular stroke, or the in- 
tended effect will be altogether lost. The hands 
must still be kept in a position that may be best 
described as being thrown out from the body, the 
wrists should be kept quite stiff, and after the ball is 
struck, the head of the club must not be allowed to 
come up in .the follow-through, but must follow the 
line of the ground to an extent almost as far as the 
arms can reach. It must be steady, too ; there must 
be no jerking or pulling, and if the stroke is played 
properly the ball will be bound to fly away in the 
desired direction, keeping low, and so being unaffected 
by the breeze. 

I may perhaps add that the stroke I have just 
attempted to describe is for the ordinary distance 
that is generally covered by the iron. If, however, 




Finish of Swing with Iron for Pitch and Eun. 



THE IRON AND SHORT APPROACH 237 
there is any necessity for a greater distance to be 
covered, then the cleek must be used, although the 
manner of playing the stroke remains the same. 

There is one more shot to be considered. That 
is the possibility of miscalculation when you are 
playing a shot from a hundred yards or thereabouts 
from the hole. In black and white such a distance 
may not appear so very great, but upon the links 
it is too real to be trifled with, and a distance over 
which a mistake may be very readily made. 

Should a miscalculation be made, either over the 
distance to the green or the power of the wind that 
may be blowing, one of two things will occur. The 
player either puts too little power behind his stroke, 
and so does not reach the point aimed at, or he plays 
too hard, and has the mortification of seeing his ball 
pitch on the green, but run on and roll into the 
rougher ground beyond its edge. 

I should not care to say which is the lesser of the 
two evils I have indicated, for very frequently the 
edges of the green are terrible places, and it means 
the playing of another good shot to get out of the 
difficulty you are in. Still, these things have to be 
faced ; even the best player is not proof against 
misfortune at times, and thus the knowledge of how 
to play a short approach shot, before being able 
to use the putter, is a very useful thing indeed. By 
short approach shots I may mention that I mean 



238 TAYLOR ON GOLF 

shots from a distance of ten or fifteen yards from the 
hole, the ball being near, but not on the green. These 
strokes I should usually play with a mashie. 

We will suppose, for the sake of argument, that 
the ground immediately outside the greens is rough 
and uneven, with long grass, or, as is the case at 
Westward Ho, bulrushes growing around them. 
When this is the case it is necessary to use your 
mashie or an iron, for the ball cannot be played as 
upon a sandy or loose soil; it must be lofted into 
the air in order to surmount the difficulties around 
and in front of it. 

In taking up your position to play this short 
approach shot your right foot must be planted down 
firmly on a spot very considerably nearer the ball 
than were you about to play a longer approach shot. 
In grasping the club there are several inches of the 
top of the shaft allowed to project beyond the grip, 
for your fingers close around it at the bottom of the 
leather by which it is protected, and then in swinging 
the club is raised in a line that would run level with 
your knees, the latter being well bent, but not in a 
too great degree. This position brings the ball very 
nearly opposite the left foot, then nothing remains 
but the playing of the stroke. In connection with 
this I have really nothing to add to what I have 
already written, beyond the reiteration of my advice 
upon the subject of the pitched-up approach shot. 




Finish of Swing, Low Shot with Iron against Wind. 



THE IRON AND SHORT APPROACH 239 
It is by far the best sort of shot, and the art of 

playing it will be well repaid in the added confidence 
and excellence of the game. My previous instruc- 
tions governing the playing of these shots will also 
apply to the shorter distances I have just spoken of, 
so I will simply add that if the way to the green is 
clear of hazards, footprints, grass, or rushes, and the 
golfer determines to play a running-up approach 
shot, then he must keep his wrists perfectly rigid and 
stiff, although he must guard against degenerating 
into clumsiness. 



CHAPTER XXXVI. 
THE ART OF PUTTING. 

AS I have before now pointed out, the game of 
- golf is not won with the driver. One man 
may secure an advantage of many yards over an 
opponent in this way, but it by no means follows 
that he will necessarily take the hole, or that he will 
win upon the aggregate number of strokes played 
during the round. Far from this, more matches are 
lost or won upon the green than upon any other 
portion of the course. Hence it well repays the 
golfer to pay special attention to putting, an art I 
will endeavour to explain in this chapter. 

The drive may be taught, the pupil may be in- 
structed in the use of the cleek, the iron, or the 
brassie, but in putting he must rely upon his own 
powers of reducing the game to an actual science. 
The other strokes are of a more or less mechanical 
character ; they may be explained and demonstrated, 
but with the ball but a few feet distant from the hole 
there are many other things to be considered, and 
hints are the only things that can be offered. The 

240 



THE ART OF PUTTING 241 

pupil may be advised over the holding and grip of 
the putter, but as far as the success of the shot is 
concerned, it remains in his own hands. 

It is vastly different from using other clubs when 
he is going for the hole. Just a swerve or the 
slightest unsteadiness or miscalculation, and he has 
dropped a stroke. The ball catches the edge of the 
hole ; there is only a fractional difference of an inch, 
but it is sufficient. 

Putting, in short, is so different to any other branch 
of the game that the good putter may be said to be 
born, not made. 

That this is really the case is proved by the 
fact that many of the leading players of the day, 
professionals and amateurs alike, are very frequently 
weaker when playing with the putter than when 
performing with any other of their clubs. Speaking 
solely of professionals, is it at all probable that this 
would be so were they capable of improving them- 
selves in this particular department ? Certainly not. 

And yet it is none the less true that to putt 
perfectly should be the acme of one's ambition. 
Putting is the most important factor of success, 
for it happens very frequently that a man may 
meet a stronger driver, or a better performer with 
the iron clubs, and yet wrest the leadership from 
him when near the hole. 

Too much importance cannot be attached to this 



242 TAYLOR ON GOLF 

special department of the game, but I regret to say 
an instructor as a rule experiences the greatest 
difficulty in inducing a pupil to devote himself to 
putting. He is quite willing to admit its importance, 
but he fails to devote sufficient attention to the 
task of mastering its details, preferring to attempt 
the more showy strokes, such as driving, strokes that 
appeal to the "slasher" or the spectator. Greater 
attention is needed in putting than in anything else, 
and it is not to be learnt unless sufficient time is 
devoted to the task. 

Provided such a thing were possible, I would be 
only too pleased to lay down a hard and fast rule by 
which the art of putting might be learnt, but I must 
confess that I cannot hope to suggest a definite plan 
or rule which must be pursued with any great hope 
of success. Therefore I shall not attempt such a 
feat, for, despite all statements to the contrary, no 
two men are possessed of similar styles. 

My decided advice is, that the learner should be 
allowed to discover for himself by which style he 
is best suited ; whether, for instance, he is capable 
of securing better results by playing off the left 
leg than the right ; and once he has discovered a 
suitable style, the instructor must proceed to suggest 
the better points that may be grafted on, although 
the ultimate measure of success attained will depend 
solely upon the efforts of the pupil himself. 




Taylor's Style of Putting. 



THE ART OF PUTTING 243 

In all other departments of the game I am of 
opinion, as I have previously stated, that the strokes 
may be taught, but in putting, never. This being the 
case, all I will do is to describe my own method 
of putting. The young player may follow my plan. 
I promise nothing. It is simply an explanation, and 
he must learn and follow out the style from which 
he is able to extract the best results. 

My mode of putting is as follows : The weight 
of my body is almost entirely supported upon my 
left leg, while I play off the right. In gripping my 
club, my grasp is somewhat lower on the leather than 
when I am playing any of the ordinary strokes, my 
usual interlocked grip being still the same, my hands 
meeting and looking almost like one. A line drawn 
nearly opposite my left heel would touch the ball, 
while my arms are placed closely by my sides. My 
right thigh provides a very slight rest for my right 
forearm. This in brief is the position in which I 
stand when I am ready to putt. 

On the manner of striking the ball every golfer 
possesses his own opinion, some arguing that it 
should be simply tapped, others that the club should 
follow through. Judging by my own style, I imagine 
I do neither the one nor the other, but blend both 
styles, although I am perfectly well assured upon one 
point, that there must be no semblance of a jerk or a 
chop. Putting should be the same as the majority of 



244 TAYLOR ON GOLF 

other strokes in this respect — it should be accom- 
plished with a smooth, even action. 

A player should certainly attempt to strike the 
ball exactly in the centre, in order to secure a truly 
played stroke, but opinions vary considerably over 
which portion of the blade of the club should be 
used for this striking. As regards this, I am inclined 
to look upon it as a matter of balance. This must 
be properly distributed. And whereas with one club 
you may find it best to strike the ball with the 
toe of the blade, with another it is quite probable 
you may secure the best results by striking with the 
heel. 

As regards the imparting of cut upon the ball, I 
do not do that intentionally, although it has been 
stated that such is the case. There is a possibility, 
however, that a certain amount of this is imparted 
by my method of putting, for I do my utmost to 
play every one of my putts by wristwork alone. 
Other good putters maintain that the wrists should 
be kept as rigid as possible, and that the action 
should come from the elbows alone. I do not say 
I agree with this, although such experiences simply 
prove the truth of my contention that putting 
cannot be taught by a set rule. 

In the holding or gripping of the club, the fingers 
must be allowed to play a very prominent part, for 
the palm of the hand should not be used for the 



THE ART OF PUTTING 245 

purpose of grasping it. It must be held firmly, but 
not too tightly, or the style will become cramped. 
Care, however, must be exercised that the club is not 
held too loosely, for in that case when a shot is 
attempted the club may turn and twist in the act of 
playing. 

Delicacy of touch is what is required in putting ; 
that is why a lady is generally a good putter. 
Haphazard play or a clumsy grip is of no purpose 
whatever ; for this reason I have suggested the grasp 
of the fingers in place of the palms of the hands. 
This gives a greater degree of lightness and spring, 
and this delicacy goes a very long way toward a 
successful attempt. 

In making a stroke, too, I would advise a player 
not to spend too great a time over its consideration. 
" He who hesitates is lost," and this is frequently 
found to be the case in putting, although, on the 
other hand, it may be pleaded there are many good 
players who are deliberate and slow in their actions 
when putting. Here, again, I may be pardoned for 
instancing the case of a billiard player and the 
making of a difficult shot. A certain moment must 
arrive when hand and eye are in perfect unison ; 
that is the opportunity that should be seized, but 
should you fail to take advantage of it, my advice 
would be to wait a while and then start afresh. 
Delay may be dangerous if carried beyond a reason- 



246 TAYLOR ON GOLF 

able limit, but it is equally as certain that too much 
haste is inadvisable. 

In putting a player must not allow his eye to 
wander from the ball. The secret of success lies in 
this, that the eye must be firmly fixed upon the ball 
while it is hit, otherwise the stroke will deviate, and 
the slightest deviation is fatal. There is an unex- 
plainable sensation known to and recognised by 
every golfer in putting : you are certain you have 
found the right way to the hole as you strike your 
ball without glancing in its direction. 

In playing precautions must be taken to ensure 
that the ball is not pulled at all. When a putt is 
missed, it will be generally found that the ball goes 
off the line and deviates to the left. The cause of 
this, in my opinion, is that a great many players, just 
at the moment their club strikes the ball, pull their 
arms in. Probably they do this unconsciously, but it 
is none the less a fact, and so the ball is pulled in 
varying degrees. A player should see that his arms 
follow right through upon the line taken by the ball 
in the direction of the hole ; then, and then only, will 
this pulling tendency be overcome. 

Putting from a distance is yet another of those 
matters that must be closely studied. It is here that 
strength is even more important than direction, for 
should a player be faced by a ten or fifteen yards 
putt, then it is that he must be careful. The object of 




Stymied. Playing to Cut Ball Round Opponent's. 



THE ART OF PUTTING 247 

his stroke must be to make an absolute certainty of 
the hole at his next, so he must see that he is up, 
and yet guard against a tendency to play too hard. 
He must putt in such a style that he lays the ball 
dead ; that means he will hole it at his next attempt. 
But it must not be assumed that this feat is quite 
easy of accomplishment. Many good players are 
inclined to be weak in this respect, although it is 
a particularly useful accomplishment to have at your 
fingers' ends. 

In playing these long putts and attempting to 
lay the ball dead, you should also give yourself a 
chance of snatching the hole, for fortune may be 
inclined to smile upon you. What I mean is this, 
that your putt should be strong enough to reach 
the hole and perhaps overrun it slightly, but not 
so powerful that the ball goes too far for the next 
stroke. Very frequently, when a player gets his 
ball up, he sees it disappear in the hole. This could 
not happen were he to be satisfied by getting within 
a foot or so short of the hole. 

It is only when you are concentrating your at- 
tention upon a holeable putt that strength has to 
play a subsidiary part to direction. In playing such 
a stroke as this I would strongly advise all golfers 
to take what is known as a line to the hole. There 
are those who are perfectly satisfied, and are under 
the impression that they secure the best results, by 



248 TAYLOR ON GOLF 

putting direct at the hole, but I do not recommend 
their plan in the slightest. 

I think it is an error to play in such a way, it 
is too haphazard; and to be successful in golf a 
player must be systematic in his methods. So I 
repeat, take a line for the hole when you are near 
enough to hope to succeed in securing it. To get 
this line there are alternative methods that may be 
pursued, one being to take an object that may be 
situated a foot or so in front of the ball, while 
another is to select an object that lies about equi- 
distant from the ball and the hole. The majority 
of golfers follow the last-named plan, although I 
have been unable to discover what advantage it 
possesses in particular over the former. Either, 
indeed, may be followed ; each player may consult 
his own predilection. 

There is but one thing I might add, and that is, 
should the equidistant plan be selected by a player, 
he should carefully note both the line from the ball 
to the hole and from the hole to the ball. Some- 
times it appears as though there were two distinct 
lines, and should this be the case, my decided advice 
is to follow the line you notice from the hole to 
the ball. In saying this I am supported by the 
system followed out by Willie Park. He is quite 
at the head of his profession as far as putting is 
concerned, and his method of play is just as I 




Pitching Stymie, Ball in Air. 



THE ART OF PUTTING 249 

have advised above. It has been tried, tested, and 
found to be a success. Nothing more need be 
said. 

Delay is also just as dangerous over the getting 
of the line for a putt as in putting itself. Too 
much time should not be spent in closely examining 
the possible routes to the hole; it is generally the 
first glance that best repays the player. Should he 
hesitate and take another look, it is more than 
probable that he will discover a perfect net of lines, 
become confused, unsteady, and finally play and 
drop a stroke. My suggestion is that a player 
should ascertain the line with the least delay possible, 
walk up to his ball, cast one glance along the line 
of the putt from the ball to the hole, and then 
play without a moment's hesitation. Do not be 
snatchy or hasty; simply recollect that a too long 
period of inaction is apt to breed doubt, so play 
as soon as you are certain of your direction. 

There are no fancy shots in golf, properly speak- 
ing, but there are strokes closely approaching them 
that are sometimes necessary when a player is about 
to hole out. It is possible that he may discover 
himself stymied. To the uninitiated he may be in 
an impossible position, but to a skilful player no- 
thing is impossible, and he may be able to hole 
out, despite the fact that he has to pass his op- 
ponent's ball on the way. The beginner would 
17 



250 TAYLOR ON GOLF 

undoubtedly fail to negotiate the easiest stymie, 
but he must needs learn some day. 

I will suppose that a player discovers his op- 
ponent's ball to be directly between his own ball 
and the hole. To reach the latter it is necessary 
that he should loft his ball over the other. To do 
this he should take up a position in which the right 
foot is advanced considerably, while the greater 
portion of the weight of the body is supported upon 
the left leg. The ball is opposite the left foot, the 
head of the mashie is allowed to lie quite flat upon 
the turf, and the grip of the shaft is low down, the 
right hand coming just below the leather. 

Then, exactly as the club strikes the ball, the 
wrists must be turned in an upward direction 
smartly. The result of this is that the ball is 
lofted over the other, and if hit properly, it will 
run on and go out of sight as intended. 

In another case a player may discover his op- 
ponent's ball is upon the line to the hole, but rather 
inclined to the right in place of being directly in 
the way. This being so, it is not necessary to 
pitch one ball over the other, for the difficulty may 
be surmounted by simply playing round. To ac- 
complish this, all that is necessary is for a spot to 
the left of the intervening ball to be aimed at, while 
the putter is turned to the right, and the heel of 
the club is brought into use for striking the ball. 



y**m. 




Stymied Ball just Disappearing into Hole. 



THE ART OF PUTTING 251 

At the moment of striking the club should be 
brought across sharply and smoothly ; a certain 
amount of "side" or "bias" is so set up, and the 
ball describes a curve that carries it clear of the 
obstruction, and so on to the hole. 



CHAPTER XXXVII. 
GETTING OUT OF DIFFICULTIES. 

IN the previous chapters I have described the 
best means by which the ball is to be got 
well away from the tee, and have presumed it has 
afterwards found a favourable lie. 

But we will now suppose it has found a depression 
of the ground. 

To get it out of this depression cleanly is now 
the task of the player. He will naturally discover 
it to be quite an impossibility to use the driver 
again. 

It is the brassie that must be brought into 
operation now, and a different style of playing than 
in the drive must be adopted. It is now neces- 
sary that the player should take up his position 
for playing in such a way that the ball is just 
a little nearer the right foot than before. The 
club must also be handled in a different manner, 
the grip being of a more retentive and sturdier 
character, although the club must not be gripped 
so hard that the swing becomes wooden and 

252 



GETTING OUT OF DIFFICULTIES 253 
cramped. It must still be perfectly free and easy, 
or the best use cannot be made of the muscular 
effort that will be put forth. 

As for the swing itself, the club must be brought 
up and allowed to sweep downward again in a little 
more upright style. The effect to be tried for, and 
which will be gained if the stroke is played properly 
and in deference to my instructions, is that the 
head of the club is allowed to nip in directly 
behind the ball as it lies in the hollow. 

Were this not done, and a sweeping stroke at- 
tempted in its place, the ball would just be topped, 
and the second position might be worse than the 
first in ever}'- respect. Do not attempt such a thing 
when your ball is lying upon a spot lower than the 
surrounding ground ; it is impossible that you could 
succeed, and it will mean a waste of time and 
trouble. 

But in playing the proper stroke the head of the 
club enters the depression at the back of the ball 
sharply and decisively. The momentum upon it, 
and the manner in which it strikes the ball, jerks 
the latter cleanly out of its resting-place. 

While exercising considerable care in seeing that 
a "nippy" stroke is so played, the whole of the 
attention must not be taken off that other important 
feature, the follow-through. In this case the follow- 
through will, of course, be into the ground to a 



254 TAYLOR ON GOLF 

certain degree ; but the stroke must not be allowed 
to terminate there with a jerk. 

The club must necessarily touch the ground, but 
it must not be allowed to remain there. As in the 
drive, the club must be allowed to follow the flight 
of the ball right through. There must be a 
semblance of a break or a jerk ; that cannot be 
obviated ; but it should be lessened as much as 
possible, and the upward swing carried right out 
with a hardly perceptible instant of hesitation. 

When getting a ball out of a depression more 
or less additional distance can be given to its flight 
and carry by a certain knack in twisting the wrists, 
or, rather, jerking them, at the exact moment that 
the head of the club comes into contact with the 
ball. 

This is quite a knack, and it cannot be learnt 
properly unless sufficient practice is secured. To 
carry out this jerk I have spoken of with the greatest 
effect it is necessary that the wrists must not be 
kept tense, rigid, and unbending when club meets 
ball, but they must be so held that they are as 
flexible as two steel springs. 

Then they must be brought round quickly, with 
a snap, if I may so express my meaning; and 
provided this is done properly and effectively, then 
it is that the additional power and vim is added to 
the swing. There is nothing dead and listless about 



GETTING OUT OF DIFFICULTIES 255 
it. The club appears to be imbued with life, and 
it is surprising what a difference it will make to the 
flight of a ball. 

In the playing of this stroke I cannot forbear 
from pointing out as decisively as possible that the 
utmost use must be made of the wrists. 

Having now dealt with one of the difficulties that 
may need to be faced, I come to another — that is, 
what is popularly termed a hanging ball. This kind 
of ball is one to be met with when the natural 
slope of the turf is trending in the direction of the 
hole. 

The ball is resting fairly, and in a get-at-able 
position. To remove it effectively in the direction 
of the hole the player must not allow it to be so 
near his right foot when he has taken up his stance 
as were it lying in a depression. It must be nearer 
his left foot, but the swing must be reproduced 
almost exactly as were he driving from the tee, 
remembering, however, one particular thing — that 
this swing should be a perfectly easy one. 

There is one common mistake. Many players do 
not recognise that the ball is lying fairly, and so is 
open to be struck fairly with a sweeping move- 
ment. They go at the ball as though there were 
a danger of topping it, and use the upright swing. 

The player must certainly not make an attempt 
to get in behind the ball sharply with a nippy stroke. 



256 TAYLOR ON GOLF 

Should he try to do this, topping will probably 

follow. 

It is one of the most difficult tasks in the world, 
the making clear to the understanding of a pupil 
that he must conform to the decline in the ground 
during the playing of the stroke; that is to say, 
when the ball is upon the slope the head of the club 
must be swept along the surface just in the same 
way as though the ground were perfectly level, the 
only difference being that the line along which it 
travels is slightly more depressed at the end than 
at the commencement. But this has to be done, 
or more trouble will be experienced. The pupil 
will probably plead that by playing the stroke with 
a downward tendency a depressing effect will be 
transferred to the ball after it has been struck. That 
this is quite an erroneous idea I need scarcely 
pause to point out, for provided a golfer hits a ball 
truly in the manner I have laid down as being 
right and proper, the ball will rise off the ground 
quite as high as is necessary. It only remains for 
the player to follow implicitly the rules I have 
suggested and, in addition, to keep his eye about 
an inch to the rear of the ball when actually playing, 
and success must follow his efforts. Should he not 
keep his eye upon this spot, but concentrate his gaze 
upon the top of the ball, then there is every pro- 
bability of its being topped. This, at least, is a 




Addressing the Ball for Full Brassie Stroke. 



j GETTING OUT OF DIFFICULTIES 257 
fault that may be guarded against by even the 
least expert. As soon as the player is possessed 
of the real touch appertaining to golf it will come 
to him naturally. 

On many of the inland courses long grass is 
frequently to be encountered. Should the ball drop 
into a patch, it is in a none too easy position, 
although it may be played out without overmuch 
difficulty, provided, of course, that the proper stroke 
is played in the requisite style. 

There is nothing extraordinary about this stroke, 
but a firm grasp must be kept upon the club when it 
is being played. If this should not be done the head 
sweeps into the grass, but does not go through as 
cleanly as should be the case. The ball has to be 
actually forced out of its bed in the grass, and to 
do this a determined grip is an absolute necessity. 

During the playing of the shots from such lies as 
I have described the use of the brassie has been 
rendered necessary. In connection with this I might 
spare a moment in order to point out that more than 
one authority upon the game has laid it down that 
the brassie should not be brought into use to a too 
great degree. How they would proceed to map out 
this degree I am not prepared to say, but their 
argument is, that the small plate of brass beneath 
the head of the club is very often apt to upset the 
perfect balance of it, and that in consequence, when 



258 TAYLOR ON GOLF 

a player exchanges a brassie for a driver, his game is 
apt to suffer. Hence they advise that a brassie should 
not be used to a greater extent than is absolutely 
necessary. 

I cannot say I follow the line of reasoning right 
out to the letter, but I am willing to admit this : 
that were we enabled to use but one solitary club 
during the playing of a round, possibly the mistakes 
might be fewer in number. That, however, is far 
from being possible. 

For my part I maintain that it is impossible to use 
the brassie too much. There are many positions 
which may be found by your ball, from which no 
other club save the brassie is capable of extricating 
it. So I say keep up your practice with this club. 
Use it on the good lies as much as the bad ones; 
in short, use your brassie whenever practicable. You 
cannot accustom yourself to the handling of it too 
much. Your knowledge will always be useful, and 
I advocate the use of it in preference to that of the 
driver. 

It may be pleaded that the ball can be got over a 
greater extent of ground when it is struck with a 
club that is not so much laid back, but, provided that 
a golfer discovers he is better suited by his brassie, 
and that he is more at home.with it in his hand, I 
really do not see why he should not use it even in 




Top of Swing, Full Brassie Stroke. 



GETTING OUT OF DIFFICULTIES 259 

driving from the tee. My confidence in this club 
is great, and I am prepared to support it. 

Another of the difficulties that has to be met is 
the weather. Like the secret of perpetual motion 
and the philosopher's stone, perfect golfing weather 
has yet to be discovered. Very hot weather will not 
suit one, a breeze spoils the game of another. 

Still, the atmospheric conditions have to be faced. 
In the matter of taking up your position in order to 
play a stroke against any wind that may be blowing 
at the time, the ball should be placed almost directly 
opposite the right foot. With this exception the 
stance is almost similar in character to that taken up 
when addressing the ball for a drive off the tee. 

Much additional advice has been given as to the 
method of playing this stroke. All I would like to 
advise is that, supposing a powerful breeze is blowing 
against you, you would be well advised in taking up 
a firm stand, while you must not forget that the swing 
must be easy in character. 

Too many players fall into a mistake that may 
be made very readily. That is, if the wind is 
blowing against them with any great force, they 
attempt to overcome this resistance to the flight of 
the ball by pressing, or going out for great things. 

This is an utterly mistaken idea of the possibilities 
of golf, for when you are perforce playing against 
the wind, then it is that you discover the absolute 



2 6o TAYLOR ON GOLF 

necessity of trying for and securing exactitude in 
playing every stroke. You must be capable of 
hitting every ball true, but if your time and attention 
is taken up in attempting to press, accuracy will be 
largely sacrificed. 

If, on the other hand, the player presses, and only 
succeeds in topping his ball in the face of half a gale, 
or even a heavy breeze, then, indeed, there is no 
surmising what will happen. Accuracy is the great 
thing for which to play, and no attention must be 
paid to those who may advise the half-topping of the 
ball when driving against the wind. 

I can quite understand their reason for doing this 
half-topping, for they are possessed of an idea that 
playing in such a manner keeps it low, and so out of 
the full force of the blast that may be blowing at the 
time. My decided advice, however, is not to do this ; 
play it as you would upon an ordinary occasion, but 
firmly, as I have noted in the previous paragraphs, 
and attempt to hit it cleanly. Provided you succeed 
in hitting it fairly and squarely with the centre of the 
head of the club, then you will accomplish what you 
strive for. 




Finish of Swing, Full Brassie Stroke 



CHAPTER XXXVIII. 

MISTAKES AND THEIR CURES— HAZARDS, 
AND HOW TO GET OUT OF THEM. 

HAVING called attention to the possibility of 
falling into the faults of topping, slicing, and 
so on, possibly it would be as well were I to explain 
why these things occur. "Topping" a ball is one 
of the most general faults, particularly so when a 
beginner is concerned. He does it, but he cannot 
explain why. As the club is drawn back in the 
swing a novice very frequently straightens his back 
and legs, probably by an involuntary action. The 
result is that his eye is shifted from the proper spot. 
The alteration in the sight of the ball is the primary 
cause of the topping. 

To render this act impossible, and to get rid of the 
habit once and for all, the player should bear clearly 
in mind that when playing a shot the knees should 
be allowed to bend just a little, but that they must 
not be straightened during the actual playing of the 
stroke. 

Another thing is that the head itself, together with 
261 



262 TAYLOR ON GOLF 

the upper part of the body, represented by the neck 
and shou ders, should be kept tightly under control, 
and in an almost immovable position. The level at 
which the stroke is commenced should be maintained 
right through. If this is not done, then a certain 
amount of unsteadiness is brought into the play, and 
a poor or bad stroke is the sequel. 

Quite as important a method of curing the topping 
habit is the keeping of the eye firmly riveted upon 
a spot situated just behind the ball when preparing 
to strike it, instead of looking directly at it. Pro- 
vided the lines I have indicated are followed out, 
then the habit will be rapidly eradicated. 

Another vice that is quite commonly met with in 
the ranks of the beginners is " sclaffing." In this case 
the fault is certainly not so glaringly bad as some of 
the others. The ball is hit, but not in a clear sweep, 
as should be the case. The head of the club is 
allowed to sweep along the surface of the ground 
before the ball is reached, consequently the stroke 
is neither powerful nor accurate. 

I have studied these faults closely, and in my 
opinion the cause is that the player in the majority 
of instances brings his club back in the swing in a 
too direct or straight line. The natural consequence 
is that when it is brought down again it must needs 
come down too straight, instead of with the perfect 
circular sweep. 



MISTAKES AND THEIR CURES 263 

Looking for the cause of this straight handling of 
the club, my opinion is that too much right hand is 
brought into the action of swinging. If a player is 
bent upon ridding himself of this habit of sclaffing, 
he must make an effort to draw the club back around 
the legs, as I described in making the drive from the 
tee, and in addition he must see that he does not 
impart too much vigour into the grip of his right 
hand. 

The next fault I shall deal with is that termed 
" duffing," a colloquial expression for skying the ball. 
If the shot is watched at all closely it will be seen 
that the head of the club is dug sharply into the 
ground, just behind the ball, the latter being generally 
struck by the upper part, and in some instances the 
extreme top edge of the head. 

Such a stroke as this naturally sends the ball high 
into the air, and the force being wasted, the ball 
describes a curve, and dropping, is found not so very 
far removed from its previous position. The cause of 
this duffing is exactly opposed to the mistake made 
when topping. 

When the player is bringing his club down he 
allows his right shoulder to drop out of its former 
and proper position, and so he is on a much lower 
level than when he was engaged in addressing the 
ball. To cure this habit is quite easy. Keep your 
right shoulder perfectly steady, and nothing of an 



264 TAYLOR ON GOLF 

untoward nature will occur. Drop it even a little, 
and you are duffing your shots again. That is the 
distinction and the difference. 

As regards " slicing " a ball, that is a fault that 
affects even the best players of the day occasionally. 
Indifferent and poor performers are apt, of course, to 
suffer from it in a more virulent form ; it is, I think, 
one of the most frequent faults to be met with upon 
any course in the country. There is no mistaking 
the cause of a sliced ball — there is but one thing that 
is capable of producing this effect. 

This is the more or less involuntary action on the 
player's part of drawing his hands in the direction of 
his body as the club descends. In describing this I 
said involuntary advisedly ; were it otherwise the 
leading amateurs and professionals would seldom, if 
ever, be affected in this way. 

This drawing of the hands in toward the body 
imparts a twist, or rather a rotatory motion to the 
ball after it is struck, just in the same way as " side " 
is imparted to the billiard ball — the ball flies away 
to the right, much to the chagrin of the player. The 
severity of this curl will vary according to the 
amount of twist upon the ball as it starts upon its 
flight, but it will in every case come round to the 
right if sliced. 

The cure for the slice is fQr the player to cultivate 
a perfect freedom of his arms, to throw them at the 



MISTAKES AND THEIR CURES 265 

ball, if I may be allowed to express my meaning in 
these terms. The greatest freedom is necessary, and 
that I have found to be the best method of securing 
it when I have been engaged in teaching. 

Yet another of this long list of troubles is the vice 
of " pulling " a ball. It must be checked whenever 
noticed, for despite the fact that a ball that is pulled 
may travel quite as far, very possibly farther, than 
one that has been struck properly, there is the loss of 
direction to be taken into consideration. 

If golf were played upon a perfectly level expanse 
of turf, free from all encumbrances, this would not 
matter overmuch, but a loss of direction may mean 
the discovery of the ball snugly ensconced in a 
bunker or something of that sort. Upon any course 
such a thing is possible ; upon a narrow course it is 
more than probable. A player cannot afford to 
accept risks such as these. 

You need not go far in order to discover the cause 
of a pulled ball. Your right hand comes into the 
stroke at the last moment, it takes the greater part 
of the work, and the left hand is in a measure over- 
powered. It may be the grip is too hard on the part 
of the right hand, or that the grasp of the left hand 
is relaxed unconsciously; whichever it is, the result 
is the same. 

In connection with this I might also add just a 

few words to what I have already said about the 

18 



266 TAYLOR ON GOLF 

grip, orthodox and otherwise. I described my 
method of gripping the club, also Harry Vardon's, 
but I recommended neither. There is this, however, 
to be said in favour of the interlocked grips to 
which we have succumbed naturally, that they will 
prevent in a great measure both the slicing and the 
pulling of a ball. Both right and left wrists work in 
perfect unison ; there is no distinction between them, 
and they cannot work or move in opposite directions. 
Here I leave this question of grip, and proceed with 
another difficulty that has wrecked many a promising 
score in the past and will do so again in the future. 

I refer to the hazard. All golfers, at one time or 
the other, must discover their ball has sought a 
hazard, and it is all-necessary that a little considera- 
tion should be given to the question, " How shall I 
best get out?" 

First it is clearly understood that the ball is in a 
bunker, and it is necessary that the case shall be 
carefully handled. Under these circumstances it is 
useless your going blindly at the shot and trusting 
to your good fortune to pull you through. 

Your aim when bunkered is to get out of the 
difficulty as cheaply as possible. You may, probably 
will, find it necessary to lose one stroke, but in giving 
this stroke you should see that you secure a good lie 
for your next shot. That is the real art of sur- 
mounting this difficulty, whereas, should you go at 




Bunkered. In. 



HAZARDS: HOW TO GET OUT OF THEM 267 

things blindly, you are apt to become flurried, and 
once that happens all is over. It is not one stroke 
you lose, but several ; you are very frequently in a 
worse position near the end than at the beginning. 
I repeat, keep cool, and think the matter over before 
you play. 

Let it be supposed that your ball is lying right at 
the foot of a steep-faced bunker of an artificial 
character, such as may be found at many of the 
inland courses, or of a natural character upon any 
of the links situated at the seaside. It is clearly a 
case then of your not being able to play straight out, 
so you must needs cast about for another means of 
reaching the turf at an easier angle, either from the 
right or the left. In a natural bunker there are 
frequently breaks in the edges that will assist you, 
but in an artificial bunker there are none of these 
aids. 

At all events, you have to leave the hazard some- 
how. Possibly you may have to play back, as you 
are in such a position that nothing else is possible. 
But you must never overlook contingencies, and 
should you find it necessary to play back, do it in 
a way that will not render the next shot of a difficult 
nature. If it is an absolute impossibility to get out 
at right or left, play back, but get your ball far 
enough away from the bunker to leave yourself an 
easy shot for your next stroke. 



268 TAYLOR ON GOLF 

Playing the correct kind of stroke when in a 
bunker is not a too easy matter for a beginner, for 
it differs considerably from the method pursued at 
the tee or through the green. Strictly speaking, the 
club is not swung at all, for the ball cannot be swept. 
Usually the niblick, but very frequently also the mashie 
is used, but whichever it may be, it is taken back 
almost upright, and brought down in the same way. 
Aim, however, must not be taken at the ball ; were 
you to hit it directly, it would simply mean you still 
remained in the bunker. You must place your blow 
upon a spot behind the ball, using your judgment in 
case the sand is hard or soft. If the former, an inch 
may be sufficiently distant, but the softer it is the 
farther back must you hit. 

Plant your feet firmly in the sand and grip the 
club firmly, but not to such an extent as to cramp 
you. Keep your eye upon the exact spot where you 
intend your niblick or mashie to land, and then hit ! 
Don't move your eye if you wish to earn success. 
Get your gaze upon one particular speck of sand. 




Bunkered. Out. 



CHAPTER XXXIX. 
THE BAFFY. 

COMMENT upon the game would not be com- 
plete unless there were some few lines devoted 
to what was at one time a universal club. In saying 
this, I am referring to the bafTy, a club that at 
one period of the game was in every golfer's hands ; 
then it dropped almost completely out of the run- 
ning, and then again it came into use, until at the 
present time it has been revived in a manner 
sufficient for it to be found on the courses all over 
the country. 

To trace the uses of the bafTy would not be so 
very difficult ; but I can scarcely say so much of 
its advantages. When the game was in its infancy, 
then the bafTy was a club that had to be reckoned 
with; but as the game grew in favour, and course 
after course was laid out, it was felt that it did 
not exactly answer its purpose. There was a some- 
thing — a very real something — lacking, and the 
brains of the club manufacturers were racked in 
order to discover a solution of the difficulty with 

which they were faced. 

269 



270 TAYLOR ON GOLF 

The result of their deliberations was the pro- 
duction of the iron clubs, the iron and the mashie. 
Their worth was at once recognised, and the day 
of the baffy had passed. That was as far as the 
majority of the players were concerned ; but there 
were those, as now, who were faithful to the old 
traditions, and who refused to move abreast of the 
times. They still held to the club, and at the 
present time, as I have already remarked, there 
is a revival in the use of it. 

The revival is, I think, to be ascribed in a great 
measure to the fact that the iron or the mashie 
are not easy clubs with which to play. The baffy, 
on the other hand, does not call for the exercise 
of nearly so much dexterity; it is a far easier 
matter to play a stroke with it, but — and this must 
not be forgotten — there is no possibility of accom- 
plishing such a brilliant performance with it as with 
either of the other two clubs, which are its more 
particular rivals in the race for public favour. 

I certainly cannot say that I favour the use of 
the baffy, for one of the greatest objections, in my 
opinion, is that it is a virtual impossibility to impart 
any degree of cut to a ball with the baffy. The 
reason is that the broad bottom of this club does 
not lend itself to the purpose, and it prevents the 
check action being got upon the ball at the instant 
of its being struck. 



THE BAFFY 271 

It is also very necessary for the ball to be in a 
good lie if the stroke with the baffy is to be 
a success. When the ball is not in a favourable 
position (perhaps it may be cupped), then the iron 
or the mashie is the club with which the stroke 
should be played. The keen, thin blade of either 
will cut through the turf and pick the ball out of 
its resting-place, but the shot cannot be played with 
the broader, thicker baffy. That in itself is a 
sufficient argument against its being used, for there 
are no compensating features to make up for its 
partial failures. 

A professional golfer is never known to use the 
baffy. Would he not do so if it were to his advan- 
tage ? There is no denying the force of that line of 
reasoning, and the only thing that can be said about 
the club is that it is an easy matter to learn how 
to handle it. That, I think, is why it has been 
afforded another lease of life. 

The strokes that can be played with the older 
club cannot be placed in comparison with those that 
may be produced with the iron and the mashie, 
but that the former is not so difficult to handle is, as 
I have said, quite certain. That is why we still see 
it on the links ; but my advice is, Drop the baffy, 
and spend a little time in the art of learning how to 
use the iron and the mashie. The results will well 
repay the extra time and trouble spent over the task. 



CHAPTER XL. 
THE GOLF BALL. 

IN the manufacture of the golf ball the crank has 
naturally had something to say; but the new 
and wonderful things, the creations of his brain, 
have not stood the test of time and practical 
experiments. The balls in use now it would be 
difficult, if not impossible, to surpass for their 
general excellence. Not so very many years ago 
the club maker was also a ball manufacturer, and 
he did not experience much difficulty in supplying 
the demand to its full. 

But the case is vastly different now. The game 
has grown to such an extent that the manufacture 
of the golf ball has become a trade confined to the 
hands of only a few of the largest firms. They 
monopolise the whole of the trade; but the result 
of the close competition has been for the good of 
the game, until at the present time it is quite 
safe to say that there are no bad balls upon the 
market. 

A cheap ball may be purchased ; but I am by no 
272 



THE GOLF BALL 273 

means an advocate for a species of false economy. 
The high-class golf ball will always keep its price, 
because the cost of the raw material from which 
it is manufactured will tend to increase as the years 
roll on. And if a fair price is paid for a ball, then 
satisfaction is assured, for the manufacturer cannot 
afford to leave anything to chance; he has to test 
things. 

All balls are not similar in pattern, however. 
There are different methods of markings preferred 
by the different makers, and in these differences 
there is far more than meets the casual eye. The 
flying properties of the ball have to be taken into 
consideration, and in this respect I certainly think 
there is a considerable advantage in one particular 
marking. 

In the Championship of 1895 tne "Agrippa" 
pattern of marking was first introduced, and from 
that time these balls have steadily grown in public 
favour. I invariably use them myself, and I would 
recommend them to anyone who would hesitate in 
making a choice. The "Agrippa" is possessed of 
the best flying properties. The protuberances give 
the necessary life to the ball when it is struck ; but 
it has been noticed that the ball bearing the less 
pronounced projections is better than the other 
variety. To explain the reason is rather a difficult 
matter, but it is possibly to be found in the fact 



274 TAYLOR ON GOLF 

that a smaller surface is presented to the wind, and 
so the ball cuts through the air with the minimum 
amount of resistance. 

Too much attention cannot be paid to the selec- 
tion of the ball, and in my own case I invariably 
play with a re-made one. In this instance I find 
that the ball possesses more life, that it flies better 
and that it is the superior of a new ball in every 
respect. The re-made ball is one that has been 
played with, then softened and re-moulded, placed 
on one side in order that it may become seasoned, 
and then painted. It is then in a condition to give 
the best results. 

The fact of a ball being re-made affects it favour- 
ably ; of that I am certain, and I am not alone in 
my belief. So, as far as the question of the ball 
is concerned, my advice to the player is, Purchase 
the best, and play with one that has been re-made. 



CHAPTER XLI. 

THE UPKEEP OF GOLF LINKS— AN EXPERT 
OPINION. 

UPON the practical side of golf there is not 
a more important question than that con- 
cerning the care lavished upon the average golf 
links. The closer the turf the better the golf, and 
the greater the attention devoted to the greens the 
more will be the improvement manifested thereon. 

Mr. D. Finlayson, F.L.S., lecturer to the Royal 
Botanic Society, and seed analyst and grass expert 
to Messrs. James Carter and Co., of London, has had 
such a wide experience in specially regulating grass 
seeds to the requirements of golf links all over the 
country that I had no hesitation in approaching him 
to secure the best and most expert advice. In the 
following pages I have attempted to place the infor- 
mation obtained at the disposal of club secretaries 
and others interested in the welfare of their links — an 
attempt, I trust, that may be favoured with success. 

To a certain extent, Mr. Finlayson was diffident ; 

but once started upon his pet subject, all went 

well. 

275 



276 TAYLOR ON GOLF 

"What of the soil?" was my opening query; 
" what of its preparation ? " 

" Well," was Mr. Finlayson's reply, " it is almost 
impossible for me to give you hints upon the manage- 
ment and upkeep of golf links, more particularly 
as far as the greens are concerned, because the 
subject in its entirety, or even speaking only of the 
soil and its preparation, is as wide and as deep as 
the sum of our knowledge of soil chemistry and soil 
physics. Still, I trust I may be capable of putting 
a few practical facts before you. 

" The varied characters of many of our golf links 
are well known. Some are laid out upon stiff, im- 
pervious clays, others, lighter in texture, may be 
classed as medium or loams, while yet others are 
what one might term almost pure sand with the 
barest skin of organic matter upon the surface. 
Between these extremes we find all the varying 
gradations from the very heavy to the very light. 

" Speaking in a wide and general sense, I can only 
say, without entering into the causes of the diversity 
of soils, that the nearer we approach to the loamy 
character the better the soil proves itself to be, and 
perhaps I might add still further that the ideal soil is 
that which contains sufficient sand for warmth and 
friability, clay and humus for tenacity and retention 
of moisture, and a sufficiency of lime as an essential 
element of plant food and for the power it exercises 



THE UPKEEP OF GOLF LINKS 277 

in liberating dormant material in the soil itself and 
decomposing organic matter. 

"The organic nitrogen," continued Mr. Finlayson 
"contained in humus exists practically in an insoluble 
condition, and undergoes a process known as nitri- 
fication, that is to say, it is oxidised into nitric acid 
as such it enters into combination with lime, and as 
nitrate of lime enters into the circulation of the 
growing plant. 

"Though this is somewhat technical, I would 
emphasise and impress upon you this fact, that 
whether the soil is found to be heavy or light, lime is 
absolutely necessary, and if not present in sufficient 
quantity must be applied. 

"The further application of lime? Well, yes, there 
might be a great deal more to be said, but we shall 
return to this part of the subject a little later on. 
There is another subject that is worthy of attention 
now, for there are few things in connection with the 
royal and ancient game that is of more abiding 
interest, both to the enthusiastic amateur and the 
professional, than the condition of the turf; and 
seeing that the quality of the turf depends upon the 
nature and the character of the soil upon which it 
grows, you will not be surprised at my saying that it 
is only throwing money away to turf a piece of 
ground, or to sow valuable seeds, irrespective of 



278 TAYLOR ON GOLF 

whether the soil has been thoroughly prepared and 
enriched. 

" You are surprised ? Possibly so, but I can only 
say I am distinctly and decidedly averse to turfing 
as things are at present upon many of the golf links 
in the country. 

"My reasons for this aversion? Because of the 
great difficulty experienced in procuring good turf, 
uniform in character, fine in texture, and free from 
weeds. Such turf may possibly be obtained, but it 
is the striking exception, and not the rule, on that 
you may depend ; while occasionally we discover 
enemies in our best turfs, in the shape of rough 
grasses that are far more objectionable than would 
be imagined by the lay mind. 

" Yes, that is so. And my remedy ? It is this : I 
am strongly of opinion that if each individual club 
would but realise the importance of establishing a 
small nursery in some convenient portion of the 
course for the special culture of the grasses that are 
suitable to the greens, they could, in a very short 
time, establish a perfect turf, free from weeds and 
uniform in texture. 

" Naturally, it goes without saying that to produce 
the best possible results these nurseries would call for 
constant attention, combined with intelligent over- 
sight." 



THE UPKEEP OF GOLF LfNKS 279 

" How would you set about establishing such a 
nursery?" was my next query. 

" In this way," rejoined Mr. Finlayson, " and I may 
say that the same treatment is applicable to greens 
or reserve greens. By the way, that is another point. 
When green -committees realise fully that October 
meetings are as a rule not consistent with the welfare 
and preservation of the greens, and that the work of 
renovation should then be well in hand or even 
finished ; then they will see the necessity of having 
reserve greens whenever such a thing is possible, and 
then periodically take in hand the renovation of 
winter greens in the early spring and summer 
greens in the autumn. It is perfect folly and time 
wasted to close a green and trust in Providence 
without seeding and manuring. 

" I will now suppose a case where the ground is 
covered with a very indifferent turf, weedy and 
patchy. On such an unpromising surface my 
purpose is to establish fine turf, either for a nursery 
or a green, as the case may be. The first operation 
is to skin the surface, that is, remove the turf by 
means of a spade or turfing-iron to the depth of 
two inches, or should it be extremely foul, to a 
depth of three inches, turn it, and then dig the 
surface to a uniform depth of six or nine inches. 

" During the progress of the work all stones and 
roots should be thrown out. The digging being 



2 3o TAYLOR ON GOLF 

finished, the next operation is equivalent to harrowing 
or deeply raking. Rolling and raking alternately 
gives the necessary fineness and firmness to the 
surface, without which we cannot successfully pro- 
duce and maintain a high-class turf. 

" It is also advisable, when time permits, to allow 
an interval to elapse between the final preparation of 
the surface and the sowing of the seed, so that it may 
be possible for the former to sink to its natural level, 
and any imperfections that may be noticed may be 
remedied before sowing. This delay is also to be 
recommended from another standpoint, for it allows 
of any weeds that may have been overlooked to 
assert themselves, the next step being to eradicate 
them finally. 

" The enriching of the soil ? Well, in any case the 
character of the soil, be it light or heavy, rich or poor, 
will be our guide, both as to the necessity and the 
kind of manure to be used. My experience has 
taught me that it is a very rare occurrence that the 
soil proves to be in such a thoroughly satisfactory 
state that it does not require some quantity of 
manure. 

" It is certainly a wise proceeding, when the sur- 
face is disturbed or dug up, to incorporate manure, 
either by digging in well-made, well-rotted stable 
dung, or by raking in upon the surface a compound 
artificial fertiliser. 



THE UPKEEP OF GOLF LINKS 281 

"When the soil is light it is possible to secure a 
better effect from dung made with moss litter, than 
should the soil be heavy in character. On the stiffer 
soil dung made with straw, but moderately well 
rotted, will produce the best result, the reason of 
this being that it not only adds the necessary food 
to the soil, but improves its texture by lightening it. 

" Then, again, basic slag, of which we hear a very 
great deal at the present time, is much more effectual 
upon peaty and clay soils, poor in lime, than on the 
lighter varieties. 

"In fact, the great thing we have to realise and 
understand in the management of soils is this: — 

"With heavy soils, as with light ones, it is necessary 
to improve the conditions by lightening on the one 
hand and consolidating on the other, opening up the 
heavy clays to the free circulation of air and moisture, 
consolidating the light soils, and making them more 
retentive of moisture by the addition of certain 
special substances, more particularly in the shape of 
good rich loam. 

"Putting greens? Yes, the same means are 
applicable, and the essential ingredients of such a 
manure are nitrogen, phosphoric acid, and potash. 
The mixture should contain a considerable quantity 
of nitrogen in such a form that it is given off very 
gradually, phosphates in such a proportion that the 
clover plants in the turf are rather diminished than 
19 



282 TAYLOR ON GOLF 

encouraged, and a certain amount of potash and 
immediately available ammonia. The whole of 
these qualities are embodied in a special manure for 
golf greens, imparting a healthy growth and a rich 
colour to the sward. 

" Indiscriminate manuring by those possessing no 
practical and expert knowledge of the subject is 
productive of very considerable waste and much 
harm. It is conspicuously true of the management 
of golf courses that 'a little knowledge is a dangerous 
thing.' On many greens I have known committees 
deplore the presence of a rich crop of leguminous 
herbage, whilst at the same time they were doing their 
utmost to encourage it by periodically top-dressing 
with phosphates in the form of super-bonedust or 
basic slag, whereas by the use of a well-balanced 
formula they could as readily discourage clover and 
increase the tillering or spreading-out of the grass. 

"Then, again, unless expert knowledge is possessed, 
it is a very easy matter to make a serious mistake in 
mixing together various fertilising substances. Thus 
dung, guano, sulphate of ammonia, and super- 
phosphate should not be mixed with basic slag or 
lime, because in the first three instances we dissipate 
into the air the most valuable ingredient, the 
ammonia, and in the case of the superphosphate it 
is changed into a less solujple and a less active form." 

It was evident from this expression of opinion that 



THE UPKEEP OF GOLF LINKS 283 

Mr. Finlayson attached considerable importance to 
the subject of manuring, and I suggested that such 
was a fact. 

" Yes," was his reply, " I do, most emphatically, 
and I will tell you why. In my opinion manuring 
is in a sense even more important than seeding. It 
is so many-sided, and has to be studied both from a 
chemical and a biological standpoint, or perhaps I 
had better put it to you in this way. Speaking of 
my firm (Carter's), we do a world-wide trade in 
seeds and manures for golf links, and our customers 
have implicit faith and confidence in us as experts 
in this business. With clubs the case is somewhat 
different, for while many depend upon the expert as 
regards seeding, they dabble on their own account 
into the ramifications of chemical manuring. 

"On one occasion the captain of an important 
club remarked to me, c We are in this position : some 
of us who manage this club think we know ; others 
of us have learnt sufficiently to know that we don't 
know. That is as far as we have got !' With certain 
reservations, these words may be echoed from Land's 
End to John o' Groats. 

" In an endeavour to improve and produce a close, 
matted turf, it would be as well to remember that the 
capabilities of the soil, whether it be a heavy clay or 
a drifting sand, are determined or measured by its 
mechanical composition and physical properties, to- 



284 TAYLOR ON GOLF 

gether with the plant food that is present in the least 
proportion. 

"What do I mean by the words ' physical' and 
' mechanical ' ? This : the predominant or mechani- 
cal constituents of all soils are clay, sand, lime, 
vegetable matter or humus, and the physical proper- 
ties, such as texture, porosity, power of absorption, 
solely and wholly depend upon the proportions in 
which they are mixed together. 

"The battle of life on many links is owing to a 
lack of sufficient moisture, and we would find it 
possible to tide over a difficult and trying season 
if we occasionally paid greater attention to the 
moisture-holding capacity of the soil. The power 
of the soil to hold moisture is influenced by the 
quantity of humus present, as well as by the fineness 
of its state of subdivision. 

" And what about lime ? That, though it may be 
abundant in nature, is very frequently deficient in the 
surface soil of grass-land. Owing both to its natural 
tendency to sink in the soil and to the action of the 
rain that falls, it is washed to lower levels, beyond 
the reach of the roots. Lime is not only a plant 
food, but it acts upon and renders available for plants 
dormant food in the soil. It improves the mechanical 
condition of clay soils, making them more friable, 
while its effect upon sandy soils is, strange to say, 
exactly the reverse of this. 



THE UPKEEP OF GOLF LINKS 285 

"Sinking a few inches into the soil, it serves to 
bind the particles together, and thus increases the 
power of the soil to hold and retain moisture. 

" How frequently do we hear of green-keepers 
preparing and using a compost of lime and rich 
loam ? But rarely, I think, though I firmly believe 
that there are few substances so readily available 
and so potent for good upon many links through- 
out the country if intelligently prepared and properly 
applied. 

" Whether it should be used ground as caustic lime, 
or as slaked lime, or as chalk, or to apply it as a 
compost, must be largely dependent upon the amount 
of organic substance and the general mechanical 
condition of the soil. 

"And what of seeds? All I can say is that in 
the selection of seeds, as in the selection of manures, 
the greens committees would be well advised were 
they to place themselves in the hands of competent 
experts. My reason for advising this is, because 
when we consider the varied character of different 
soils in different districts, and that only a very few 
courses are capable of producing the fine, close turf 
so necessary on a putting green, the expert has not 
only to define the grasses that are suitable to the 
soil and situation, but he has also to determine the 
relative proportions they must bear to one another in 
the mixture, in order to produce the desired result. 



236 TAYLOR ON GOLF 

"Whatever may be the nature of the soil to 
produce a high -class putting green, our aim and 
object must be uniformity, both in the colour of the 
sward and fineness of texture. The surface soil 
must be rich, firm, fine, and level ; and if a perfectly 
level putting green is not desired, the undulations 
must be gradual and not abrupt in character. 

"As regards the sowing of seeds, grass seed may 
be sown at any time, provided neither drought nor 
moisture is excessive. As a general rule, from the 
first of March to the end of April, or from the 
last week in August to the end of September, are 
the best times for sowing. Although I have person- 
ally seen a considerable amount of sowing successfully 
performed late in October, and even in November, 
there are certain risks attached to the operation, 
under adverse climatic conditions, that it would be 
well to avoid when possible. Of the two seasons 
I have named, my opinion is that the end of summer 
sowing is to be preferred. 

" Assuming that the ground is thoroughly prepared, 
alternately raked and rolled after digging until the 
surface is firm and fine, and manure incorporated, 
either by digging or raking, the seeds should be 
sown upon a consolidated surface. In order to secure 
absolute accuracy in the even distribution of the 
seed, the surface of the putting green from one edge 
to the other may be divided by means of six strings, 



THE UPKEEP OF GOLF LINKS 287 

crossing each other at right angles and at equal 
distances apart, thus dividing the green, if it is 
20x20, into twenty-five portions 4x4, sowing not 
less than one bushel of seed on the whole green, 
or at the rate of one pound of seed to the 4x4, or 
sixteen square yards' space. 

" Another method of sowing the seed effectually is 
by stretching two lines about five feet apart and 
apportioning a certain quantity of seed to the space 
of ground so divided. This ground must be gone 
over at least twice during the operation of sowing, 
care being taken to cover the surface evenly. 

"After sowing, the seeds may be lightly covered 
with about forty bushels of soil to a putting green 
20 x 20, which equals about two loads or cubic yards. 
Even a better plan than this would be to rake the 
seeds into the surface, using a tool in which the 
teeth are widely separated, afterwards rolling tightly 
down. Then on the rolled surface cover with some 
fertilising fibre, pressing this only very slightly with a 
much lighter roller than has been used previously. 

"By following out the plan I have advised the 
seeds are well covered, and the compost acts both as 
a manure and a soil protective, preventing evapora- 
tion from the surface and in a great measure obviating 
the necessity of watering the young seeds. 

" When the grass is just beginning to come up, if 
the ground from any cause is unusually loose, it 



288 TAYLOR ON GOLF 

should be compressed by means of a light roller, 
but the surface should not be broken in any way. 
I am convinced that the need of a little pressure, 
not too much, at this critical stage and under the 
conditions named is very frequently the cause of 
complete failure. 

" Later on, when there is just sufficient growth to 
grip the edge of a sharp scythe, cut and roll alter- 
nately, continuing the use of the scythe until the 
surface has become thoroughly firm. In employing 
the machine the state of the weather will determine 
the height at which the grass is to be cut. At first 
the machine may be so set that it cuts moderately 
high, and provided the weather is dry and hot, it may 
be allowed to remain so. Should the weather, on the 
contrary, be showery in character, and the grass be 
growing freely, the cutting blades may be lowered at 
the discretion of the operator. 

" Light rolling and mowing alternately are neces- 
sary in order to maintain the turf in a high state of 
perfection, combined with the judicious use of the 
proper kinds of renovating seeds, and enriching the 
surface periodically. Still, I regret to say that on 
many links there is too persistent a use of the heavy 
roller. 

"During the spring and autumn it is admissible 
and necessary, but during a continuance of dry 
weather it exercises a harmful influence. On many 



THE UPKEEP OF GOLF LINKS 289 

soils the heavy roller not only unduly bruises the 
surface, but proves at the same time an effective 
instrument in robbing the soil of much of its needful 
moisture. 

"The conserving of soil moisture is an important 
problem to many green -keepers, and we have a good 
illustration of the knowledge that is required in the 
fact that there is no instrument used by the green- 
keeper that requires greater judgment in its applica- 
tion than the roller. On greens where water is not 
laid on, those charged with their oversight perhaps 
scarcely realise that by the constant pressure of the 
heavy roller the moisture in the soil more readily 
rises by capillary attraction to the surface, evaporates, 
and is consequently lost. 

"We can readily imagine a green or greens that 
have fallen into bad condition, possibly in conse- 
quence of hard wear and lack of nourishment, the 
consequence of this being that bare patches, weeds, 
and occasional patches of moss make their appear- 
ance. Should this be the case, the greens may be 
improved in the following way. 

" In the first place, as a rule, the surface must be 
thoroughly scarified with a sharp-toothed rake, tear- 
ing out all the weeds, moss, and rough growths 
possible. If the physical condition of the soil is such 
that an increase in the density of the surface would 
be an improvement, as in the case of a light drifting 



2 9 o TAYLOR ON GOLF 

sand, it would be advisable to work well into the 
scarified surface half an inch or more of light loamy 
soil or some fertilising fibre. 

"On the surface of a stiff, impervious clay, how- 
ever, we would reverse this policy by working in 
either a pure sand or a light, sandy loam. In either 
instance there would be a manifest improvement 
in the texture of the soil, and not only in this 
respect, but in the fact that a good seed-bed would 
also have been so provided. 

"On the surface prepared in this way, if it is a 
green 20 x 20, one half-hundredweight of special grass 
manure might be raked in, the necessary seeds being 
sown a few days later, the quantity required naturally 
depending upon the condition of the original turf. 
This being accomplished, the seeds must be covered 
and rolled as I have previously described. 

" Coming now to the question of destroying weeds, 
in getting rid of these noxious products of the soil 
we must naturally prevent the act of seed produc- 
tion, this method, in many cases, if persistently 
followed up, being amply sufficient. But, after all, 
the eradication of weeds depends somewhat upon 
the knowledge possessed of the life-history and the 
duration of life of particular varieties. 

"Annual weeds flower and seed once, and then 
they die. Biennial weeds seed but once, but, unlike 
the annuals, their life is protracted over two seasons. 



THE UPKEEP OF GOLF LINKS 291 

The first is devoted to root and leaf development, 
while the second year seed is produced at the ex- 
pense of the foodstuffs stored in the root during 
the first season's growth. Then, after the production 
of seed, death ensues. 

" Perennial weeds reproduce themselves by seeds, 
and are also propagated by a persistent perennial 
root stock, which produces new shoots and new 
roots. Perennial weeds may be divided into deep- 
rooted varieties, such as ribgrass, dandelions, docks, 
etc., and creeping-rooted, such as buttercups, creep- 
ing silverweed, yarrow, etc. Annual weeds must be 
killed by cutting early and by depasturing with 
sheep. 

" Biennial weeds must be cut below the juncture 
of the crown and root. If they are severed at a point 
above the crown the operation serves to increase 
the mischief rather than to diminish it. In the 
case of perennial weeds, cutting the root stocks, as 
a rule, propagates the evil, the complete removal 
of these root stocks being the sole remedy, although 
in many cases they may be starved to death, or at 
least weakened, by preventing the development of 
stem and leaves above the surface of the ground. 
In this sense, depasturing, the tread and nibbling 
of sheep, is a specific for the removal of many 
weeds." 

" Well," was my remark, " I am rather surprised 



292 TAYLOR ON GOLF 

at what you say about sheep-feeding. Have you 

nothing further to add?" 

" Yes," was Mr. Finlayson's reply, " I could say 
very much more ; but it is like this : I hold very 
decided opinions as to the turf-making value of 
cake-fed sheep, though I am perfectly willing to 
admit there are two sides to the majority of 
questions. In this case, the other side is they 
do a certain amount of harm, perhaps, in breaking 
down bunkers, lying on the greens, scorching the 
grass with excreta, etc. 

" Of course, club secretaries will have to decide 
for themselves in a case of this kind, and their 
decision will largely depend on the condition of 
the course. 

" Perhaps the science of weeding," remarked Mr. 
Finlayson, in conclusion, " may be summed up in 
a word or two : Prevent flowering and seeding, and 
exercise the greatest care as to the absolute purity 
of everything used. Sow pure seeds, use pure dung 
and pure composts. Do not use road-scrapings as 
a top dressing, or dung containing the sweepings 
from a hay-loft, unless specially prepared in a 
manner calculated to kill all weed seeds that may 
be present. 

"Modify the environments of the turf you may 
desire to improve or grow by means of good culti- 
vation, manuring, liming, and sheep -feeding, and 



THE UPKEEP OF GOLF LINKS 293 

do everything possible to make the surroundings 
favourable to your purpose. As a matter of fact, 
it is possible to very materially decrease all weed- 
growth by intelligent and persistent effort." 

These, then, are Mr. Finlayson's recipes for the 
provision of good courses. Intelligent and careful 
methods are within the reach of all. Why, then, 
should some links be allowed to remain in a con- 
dition calculated to stagger humanity? 



WINNERS OF THE AMATEUR 
CHAMPIONSHIPS. 

1886. Mr. H. G. Hutchinson (Royal North Devon) beat 

Mr. H. A. Lamb (Royal Wimbledon) by 7-6 at 
St. Andrews. 

1887. Mr. H. G. Hutchinson beat Mr. J. Ball, jun. (Royal 

Liverpool), by one hole at Hoy lake. 

1888. Mr. J. Ball, jun., beat Mr. J. E. Laidlay (Hon. Company 

of Edinburgh Golfers) by 5-4 at Prestwick. 

1889. Mr. J. E. Laidlay beat Mr. L. M. Balfour (Royal and 

Ancient) by 2-1 at St. Andrews. 

1890. Mr. J. Ball, jun., beat Mr. J. E. Laidlay by 4-3 at 

Hoylake. 

1891. Mr. J. E. Laidlay beat Mr. H. H. Hilton (Royal Liver- 

pool) after a tie at St. Andrews. 

1892. Mr. J. Ball, jun., beat Mr. H. H. Hilton by 3-1 at 

Sandwich. 

1893. Mr. P. C. Anderson (St. Andrews University) beat Mr. 

J. E. Laidlay by one hole at Prestwick. 

1894. Mr. J. Ball, jun., beat Mr. S. M. Fergusson (Royal and 

Ancient) by one hole at Hoylake. 

1895. Mr. L. M. Balfour- Melville (Royal and Ancient) beat 

Mr. J. Ball, jun., after a tie at St. Andrews. 
1896* Mr. F. G. Tait (Black Watch) beat Mr. H. H. Hilton 
by 8-7 at Sandwich. 

1897. Mr. A. J. T. Allan (Edinburgh University) beat Mr. J. 

Robb (St. Andrews) by 4-2 at Muirfield. 

1898. Mr. F. G. Tait beat Mr. S. M. Fergusson by 7-5 at 

Hoylake. 

1899. Mr. J. Ball, jun., beat Mr. F. G. Tait after a tie at 

Prestwick. 

1900. Mr. H. H. Hilton beat Mr. J. Robb by 8-7 at Sandwich. 

1901. Mr. H. H. Hilton beat Mr. J. L. Low by one hole 

at St. Andrews. 

1902. Mr. C. Hutchings beat Mr. S. H. Fry by one hole at 

Hoylake. 

* Thirty-six holes played for the first time. 
294 



WINNERS OF THE OPEN CHAMPIONSHIPS. 



i860. Willie Park, Musselburgh . 

1 86 1. Tom Morris, sen., Prestwick 

1862. Tom Morris, sen., Prestwick 

1863. Willie Park, Musselburgh . 

1864. Tom Morris, sen., Prestwick 

1865. A. Strath, St. Andrews 

1866. Willie Park, Musselburgh . 

1867. Tom Morris, sen., St. Andrews 

1868. Tom Morris, jun., St. Andrews 

1869. Tom Morris, jun., St. Andrews 

1870. *Tom Morris, jun., St. Andrews 

1872. Tom Morris, jun., St. Andrews 

1873. Tom Kidd, St. Andrews 

1874. Mungo Park, Musselburgh . 

1875. Willie Park, Musselburgh . 

1876. Bob Martin, St. Andrews . 

1877. Jamie Anderson, St. Andrews 

1878. Jamie Anderson, St. Andrews 

1879. Jamie Anderson, St. Andrews 

1880. Bob Ferguson, Musselburgh 

1 881. Bob Ferguson, Musselburgh 

1882. Bob Ferguson, Musselburgh 

1883. tW. Fermie, Dumfries 

1884. Jack Simpson, Carnoustie . 

1885. Bob Martin, St. Andrews . 

1886. D. Brown, Musselburgh 

1887. Willie Park, jun., Musselburgh 

1888. Jack Burns, Warwick 



174 at Prestwick. 
163 at Prestwick. 
163 at Prestwick. 

168 at Prestwick. 
167 at Prestwick. 
162 at Prestwick. 

169 at Prestwick, 

170 at Prestwick. 
1 54 at Prestwick^ 
157 at Prestwick. 
149 at Prestwick. 
166 at Prestwick. 
179 at St. Andrews. 

1 59 at Musselburgh. 
166 at Prestwick. 
176 at St. Andrews. 

160 at Musselburgh. 
157 at Prestwick. 
170 at St. Andrews. 
162 at Musselburgh. 

170 at Prestwick. 

171 at St. Andrews. 

1 59 at Musselburgh. 

160 at Prestwick. 
171 at St. Andrews. 
157 at Musselburgh. 

161 at Prestwick. 
171 at St. Andrews. 



* This being Tom Morris, jun's., third successive victory, he won 
the Belt, originally put up, outright, and the Championship remained 
in abeyance for two years, when a fresh trophy was substituted, to be 
held by the leading club in the district from which the winner hails. 

t After a tie with Bob Ferguson, Musselburgh. 

295 



THE OPEN CHAMPIONSHIPS 



296 

1889. *Willie Park, jun., Musselburgh . 

1890. Mr. J. Ball, jun., Royal Liverpool 

1 89 1. Hugh Kirkcaldy, St. Andrews 

1892. tMr. H. H. Hilton, Royal Liverpool 

1893. W. Auchterlonie, St. Andrews 

1894. J. H. Taylor, Winchester . 

1895. J. H. Taylor, Winchester . 

1896. JH. Vardon, Scarborough 

1897. Mr. H. H. Hilton, Royal Liverpool 

1898. H. Vardon, Scarborough 

1899. H. Vardon, Scarborough 

1900. J. H. Taylor, Richmond 

1 90 1. J. Braid, Romford . 



155 at Musselburgh. 
164 at Prestwick. 
166 at St. Andrews. 
305 at Muirfield. 
322 at Prestwick. 
326 at Sandwich. 
322 at St. Andrews. 
316 at Muirfield. 
312 at Hoylake. 
307 at Prestwick. 
310 at Sandwich. 
309 at St. Andrews. 
309 at Merrifield. 



* After a tie with A. Kirkcaldy, St. Andrews. 
+ Competition extended to seventy-two holes. 
J After a tie with J. H. Taylor, Winchester. 



CLUB DIRECTORY. 

THE LEADING GOLF CLUBS IN THE UNITED 
KINGDOM. 

[Reproduced by kind permission from The Golfing Annual .] 



ENGLAND. 



Bedfordshire. 
Apsley Guise and District Club. 
Bedford Club. 
Biggleswade, N. Bedfordshire 

Club. 
Dunstable Club. 

Grammar School Club. 
Luton, S. Bedfordshire Club. 

Berkshire. 
Ascot, Royal Ascot Club. 

Ladies' Ascot Club. 

St George's Gymnasium 
Club. 
Bradfield, Culm Vale Club. 
Camberley, R.M.C. Club. 
Crookham Club. 
Goring and Streatley Club. 
Maidenhead Club. 

Ladies' Club. 
Reading Club. 
Sunningdale Club. 
Wallingford, Ewelme Club. 
Wantage, Lockinge Club. 

20 297 



Windsor, Eton College Club. 

Buckinghamshire. 
Amersham Club. 
Burnham Beeches Club. 
Chesham Club. 
Datchet Club. 
Leigh ton Buzzard, Grovery 

Club. 
Newport Pagnell Club. 
West Wycombe Club. 

Cambridgeshire. 
Cambridge University Club. 

Grance Club. 

Granta Club. 
West Wratting Club. 

Channel Islands. 

Alderney Club. 

Guernsey, Royal Guernsey 

Club. 
Jersey, Royal Jersey Club. 

Ladies' Club. 

Quennevais Club. 



298 



CLUB DIRECTORY 



Cheshire. 



Alsager Club. 
Ashton-upon-Mersey Club. 
Bowden Club. 
Bramall Park Club. 
Cheadle Club. 

Ladies' Club. 
Cheshire Ladies' County U nion. 
Chester Club. 

Ladies' Club. 
Congleton,Henshall Hall Club. 
Crewe, Barthomley Club. 
Disley Club. 

Ladies' Club. 
Godley Hyde Club. 
Heaton Chapel, Heaton Moor 

Club. 
Hill Warren Club'. 
Hoylake Ladies' Club. 
Knutsford Club. 
Leasowe Club. 
Macclesfield Club. 
Marple Club. 
Moreton Ladies' Club. 
New Brighton Club. 
Romiley Club. 
Sandbach Club. 
Tim perl ey Club. 
Wallasey Club. 
Wilmslow Club. 

Ladies' Club. 
Wirral Ladies' Club. 

Cornwall. 
Bodmin, Royal Cornwall Club. 

Ladies' Club, 
Bude and North Cornwall 
Club. 



Cornwall County Union. 

Falmouth Club. 

Lelant, West Cornwall Club. 

Ladies' Club. 
Lizard Club 
Mullion Club. 
Newquay Club. 
Rock, St. Enodoc Club. 
Tintagel Club. 

Cumberland. 

Carlisle and Silloth Club. 
Cockermouth Club. 
Keswick Club. 
Longtown Club. 
Penrith, Inglewood Club. 
Seascale Club. 

Workington, W. Cumberland 
Club. 

Derbyshire. 

Ashbourne Club. 
Bakewell Club. 
Bamford, Sickleholme Club. 
Baslow Hydropathic Club. 
Buxton and High Peak Club. 

Ladies' Club. 

Working Men's Club. 
Chesterfield and District 

Club. 
Derby, Derbyshire Club. 
Dovedale Course. 
Duffield, Chevin Club. 
Hardwick Club. 
Ilkeston Club. 
Lea Hurt Park Club. 
Mellor Club. 
Sudbury Club. 



CLUB DIRECTORY 



Devonshire. 
Barnstaple Club. 
Budleigh Salterton Club. 
Churston Club. 

Ladies' Club. 
Dawlish, Warren Club. 
Devonport,R.N. Barracks Club 
Devonshire Ladies' County 

Union. 
Exeter Club. 
Exmouth Club. 

Ladies' Club. 
Honiton Club. 
Ilfracombe Club. 
Newton Abbot Club. 
Plymouth, R.A. Club. 
Saunton Club. 
Seaton, Axe Cliff Club. 

Ladies' Club. 
Sidmouth Club. 
South Brent, S. Devon Club. 
Tavistock Club. 
Thurlestone Club. 
Tiverton Club. 

Blundell's School Club. 
Torquay and St. Mary Church 
Club. 

Ladies' Club. 
Torrington Club. 
Totnes Club. 

Westward Ho, Royal North 
Devon Club. 

Northam Club. 

N. Devon Ladies' Club. 
Woolacombe Bay Club. 

Dorset. 
Blandford, Ashley Wood Club. 



299 

Bridport, West Dorset Club. 
Broadstone, Dorset Club. 
Dorchester Club. 
Herrison Common Course. 
Lyme Regis Course. 
Sherborne, Blackmore Vale 

Club. 
Swanage, Isle of Purbeck Club. 
Weymouth Club. 

Durham. 
Barnard Castle Club. 
Bishop Auckland Club. 
Durham Club. 
Eggleston Club. 
High Coniscliffe Club. 
Seaton Carew Club. 
Shotley Bridge, Shotley CI b. 
South Shields Club. 
Stockton, Tees-side Club. 
Sunderland, Wearside Club. 

Essex. 
Bentley Green Club. 
Braintree Club. 
Chelmsford Club. 
Chingford Club. 
Clacton-on-Sea Club. 
Colchester, Middlewick Gar- 
rison Club. 
Dovercourt Club. 
Epping Club. 
Frinton-on-Sea Club. 
Gladwyns Club. 
Harlow Club. 
Maldon Club. 
Rochford Hundred Club. 
Ladies' Club. 



3oo 



CLUB DIRECTORY 



Romford Club. 
Ladies' Club. 

Royal Epping Forest Club. 

Saffron Walden, Chesterford 
Park Club. 

Shoeburyness Club. 

Theydon Bois Club. 

Waltham Cross, Nazing Com- 
mon. 

Wandstead Park Club. 

Woodford Club. 

Gloucestershire. 
Bristol and Clifton Club. 

Long Ashton Club. 
Cheltenham Club. 

Ladies' Club. 

Bridlip Club. 
Churchdown, Chosen Hill Club. 
Cirencester, Sapperton Park 

Club. 
Flax Bourton, Felton Club. 
Gloucester, Barnwood Club. 
Henbury Club. 
Mangotsfield, Rodway Hill 

Club. 
Minchinhampton Club. 

Ladies' Club. 
Nailsworth Club. 
Painswick Club. 
Stinchcombe Hill Club. 
Stow-on-the-Wold, Cotswold 

Club. 
Tewkesbury Club. 

Hampshire. 
Aldershot District Club. 
Barton-on-Sea Club. 



Botley, Shirrel Heath Club. 

Ladies' Club. 
Bournemouth Club. 

Ladies' Club. 

Meyrick Park Club. 
Corhampton Club. 
Crofton, Seafield Club. 
Fareham Course. 
Fort Cumberland. 
Hayling Club. 

Ladies' Club. 
Lymington Club. 
Lyndhurst, New Forest Club. 
Petersfield Club. 
Portsmouth, U.S. Club. 

Ladies' U.S. Club. 
Romsey, Halterworth Club. 
Shawford, Twyford and Shaw- 
ford Club. 

Ladies' Club. 
Southampton Club. 

Ladies' Club. 
Winchester Royal Club. 

Ladies' Club. 

College Club. 
Winchfield, Hartley Wintney 
Club. 

St. Neot's Club. 
Yateley Club. 

Herefordshire. 
Bromyard, Broad Oak Club. 
Hereford, Herefordshire Club. 
Kingsland Club. 
Ross, Wilton Club. 
Walford Club. 

Hertfordshire. 
Berkhampstead Club, 



CLUB DIRECTORY 

Boxmoor Club. 
Bushey Hall Club. 
Ladies' Club. 
Chorley Wood Club. 
Haileybury Club. 
Harpenden Club. 
Hertford, East Herts Club. 
Hitchin and North Herts Club. 
Radlett, Porters Club. 
Redbourne Club. 
Royston Club. 
Totteridge, South Herts Club. 



Watford, Incorporated West 

Herts Club. 
Wheathampstead, Mid-Herts 

Club. 

Huntingdonshire. 
Huntingdon County Club. 
St Neot's Club. 

Ladies' Club. 

Isle of Man. 
Castletown Club. 
Douglas Club. 
Howstrake Club. 
Peel Club. 
Port Erin Club. 
Ramsey Club. 

Isle of Wight. 
Freshwater Club. 

Ladies' Club. 
Needles Club. 

Ladies' Club. 
Newport Club. 
Royal Isle of Wight Club. 
Ryde Club. 



301 

Shanklin and Sandown Club. 
Ventnor Club. 



Kent. 

Barham Downs Club. 

Ladies' Club. 
Bromley and Bickley Club. 
Canterbury Club. 
Chatham, R.E. Club. 
Chislehurst Club. 

Ladies' Club. 
Dartford Club. 
Deal, Cinque Ports Club. 
Dover Club. 
Eltham Club. 

Ladies' Club. 

Warren Club. 
Ladies' Club. 
Folkestone Club. 

Ladies' Club. 
Halstead Club. 
Heme Bay Club. 
Hythe Club. 
Lamberhurst Club. 
Littlestone Club. 

Ladies' Club. 
Maidstone Club. 

Ladies' Club. 
Margate, Thanet Club. 

Ladies' Club. 
Rochester Club. 

Ladies' Club. 
Royal Blackheath Club. 

Ladies' Club. 

School Old Boys' Club. 
St. Margaret's Bay, St. Mar- 

garet's-at-Cliffe Club. 
Sandwich, St. George's Club. 



302 



CLUB DIRECTORY 



Sevenoaks, Wildernesse Club. 
Sidcup Club. 
Tonbridge Club. 
Tunbridge Wells Club. 

Culverden Club. 
Westgate-on-Sea Club. 
Woolwich, R.A. Club. 

Lancashire. 

Accrington Club. 
Barrow-in-Furness, Furness 

Club. 
Birkdale Club. 

Ladies' Club. 
Blackburn Club. 
Blackpool Club. 

Cleveley's Hydro. Club. 

Ladies' Club. 
Bolton Club. 
Burnley Club. 
Bury Club. 
Chorley Club. 

Clitheroe and District Club. 
Darwen Club. 
Didsbury Club. 

Ladies' Club. 
Egerton Ladies' Club. 
Failsworth Club. 
Fleetwood Club. 
Formby Club. 

Ladies' Club. 
Grange-over- Sands Club. 
Hawkshead Club. 
Haydock Park Club. 
Horwich Club. 
Lancaster Club. 
Liverpool, Royal Liverpool 
Club. 



West Derby Club. 
Ladies' Club. 

W. Lancashire Club. 
Ladies' Club. 

Woolton Club. 
Lytham, Royal Lytham and 
St. Anne's Club. 
Ladies' Club. 

Fairhaven Club. 
Manchester Club. 

Anson Club. 

Ladies' Club. 

Clayton Club. 

Fairfield Club. 

Insurance Club. 

N. Manchester Club. 

Old Manchester Club. 
Ladies' Club. 

Owens College Club. 

Trafford Club. 
Morecambe and Heysham 
Club. 

Ladies' Club. 
Oldham Club. 
Ormskirk Club. 
Pleasington Club. 
Preston Club. 
Rochdale Club. 
Rossall School Club. 
Rossendale Club. 
St. Helen's and District Club. 
Scorton, Wyresdale Club. 
Southport Club. 

Ladies' Club. 
Stoneyhurst College Club. 
Ulverston, Conishead Priory 

Hydropathic Club. 
Urmstone, Entwisle Club. 
Warrington, Mersey Club. 



Wigan Club. 

Wilpshire and District Club. 
Withington Club. 
Worsley Club. 



CLUB DIRECTORY 

Middlesex. 
Acton Club. 



303 



Leicestershire. 
Ashby-de-la-Zouch Club. 
Hinckley, Burbage Common 

Club. 
Kirby Muscloe Club. 
Leicester, Leicestershire Club. 
Loughborough, Charnwood 

Forest Club. 
Lutterworth Club. 
Market Harborough Club. 
Marborough Club. 

Lincolnshire. 
Billingborough, Sempringham 
Abbey Club. 

Ladies' Club. 
Boston Club. 

Ladies' Club. 
Bourne Club. 
Brigg Club. 

Gainsborough, Thorock Club. 
Grantham Club. 

Belton Park Club. 
Ladies' Club. 
Grimsby and Cleethorpes Club. 
Lincoln Club. 

Ladies' Club. 

New Lincoln Club. 

South Park Club. 
Skegness, Seacroft Club. 
Stamford, Burghley Park Club. 
Woodhall Spa and District 

Club. 



Ladies' Club. 

Caledonian Club. 

Castlebar Club. 
Ladies' Club. 
Ashford Club. 

Chartered Accountants' Club. 
Chiswick Club. 

Ladies' Club. 
City Liberal Club. 
Civil Service Club. 
East Finchley Club. 
Enfield Club. 

Ladies' Club. 

Bush Hill Park Club. 
Ladies' Club. 

Clay esm ore School Club. 
Finchley Club. 
Hampstead Club. 

Ladies' Club. 
Hampton Wick, Home Park 

Club. 
Hanger Hill Club. 
Inns of Court Club. 
Muswell Hill Club. 

Ladies' Club. 
Neasden Club. 
Northwood Club. 
St. Quintin's Club. 
Staines Club. 
Stanmore Club. 

Ladies' Club. 
Stock Exchange Club. 
Uxbridge, Hillingdon Club. 
Wembley Club. 

Ladies' Club. 
Whitton Park Club. 



3°4 



CLUB DIRECTORY 



Monmouthshire. 
Abergavenny, Monmouthshire 

Club. 
Monmouth Club. 

Norfolk. 
Attleborough, Mid - Norfolk 

Club. 
Aylsham, Blickling Club. 
Blakeney and Cley Club. 
Brancaster, Royal W. Norfolk 
Club. 

Workmen's Club. 
Caister-on-Sea Club. 
Cromer, Royal Cromer Club. 
Diss, Stuston Club. 
Fakenham Club. 

Ladies' Club. 
Hunstanton Club. 
Mundesley Club. 
Norwich, Royal Norwich Club. 

Ladies' Club. 
Sheringham Club. 

Ladies' Club. 
Wells-next-the-Sea Club. 
Yarmouth, Great Yarmouth 
Club. 

Ladies' Club. 

Workmen's Club. 

Northamptonshire. 
Harringworth Club. 
Kettering Club. 

Working Men's Club. 
Northampton Club. 

Ladies' Club. 
Oundle Club. 
Peterborough, Gordon Club. 



Thrapston Club. 
Towcester Club. 
Wellingborough Club. 

Northumberland. 
Alnmouth Club. 
Bellingham Club. 
Berwick-on-Tweed Club. 
Birtley Club. 
Newbiggin-by-the-Sea Club. 

Eastcliff Club. 
Newcastle- on -Tyne, City of 
Newcastle Club. 

United Workmen's Club. 

Northumberland Club. 
Ryton-on-Tyne,TynesideClub. 

Workmen's Club. 
Whitley St. Mary's Club. 
Wooler Club. 

Nottinghamshire. 
Mansfield, Ravensfield Club. 
Newark Club. 
Nottingham, Bui well Forest. 

Artisans' Club. 

Nottinghamshire Club. 
Ladies' Club. 

Plumtree Club. 

Oxfordshire. 
Banbury, Bodicote Club. 
Bradwell, Grove Club. 
Chastleton Hill Club. 
Chipping Norton Club. 
Henley, Peppard Club. 
Huntescombe Club. 
Oxford University Club. 
Steeple Aston Club. 
Witney Club. 



CLUB DIRECTORY 



305 



Rutland. 
Oakham Club. 
Uppingham Club. 

Shropshire. 
Bridgnorth Club. 
Church Stretton Club. 
Ludlow Club. 
Shrewsbury Club. 
Tenbury, St. Michael's Club. 

Somersetshire. 
Bath Club. 

Bladud Club. 

Ladies' Club. 

Lansdown Club. 
Bruton Club. 
Burnham and Berrow Club. 

Ladies' Club. 
Chard Club. 
Clevedon Club. 
Dulverton Club. 
Frome Club. 

Ladies' Club. 
Glastonbury, Ivy thorn Club. 
Ilminster Club. 

Minehead and W. Somerset 
Club. 

Ladies' Club. 
Portishead Club. 
Shepton Mallett, Mendip Club. 
Taunton, Pickeridge Club. 
Wells Club. 
Weston-super-Mare Club. 

Staffordshire. 
Barton-under-Medwood Club. 
Basford Club. 



Burton-on-Trent Club. 

Stapenhill Club. 
Cannock Chase Club. 
Cheadle Club. 
Eccleshall Club. 
Leek Club. 

Lichfield, Whittington Club. 
Stone Club. 
Tamworth Club. 
Trentham Club. 

Ladies' Club. 
West Bromwich, Sandwell 

Park Club. 
Wolverhampton, S. Stafford- 
shire Club. 

Ladies' Club. 

District Club. 

Suffolk. 
Aldeburgh Club. 
Beccles Club. 

Bungay, Waveney Valley Club. 
Felixstowe Club. 

Ladies' Club. 
Framlingham Club. 
Ipswich Club. 

Ladies' Club. 

Eastern Counties Club. 
Lowestoft Club. 
Southwold Club. 
Woodbridge Club. 

Ladies' Club. 
Worlington, Royal Worlington 
and Newmarket Club. 

Surrey. 
Beckenham Club. 
Ladies' Club. 



306 



CLUB DIRECTORY 



Byfleet, New Zealand Club. 
Clapham Common Club. 
Claygate Common Club. 

Ladies' Club. 
Cooper's Hill Club. 
Dorking Club. 
Dulwich and Sydenham Club. 

Ladies' Club. 
Epsom Club. 
Farnham Club. 
Guildford Club. 

Ladies' Club. 

Working Men's Club. 
Handley Common Club. 
Haslemere Club. 
Honor Oak and Forest Hill 

Club. 
Kenley, Caterham and Kenley 

Club. 
Limpsfield Chart Club. 
London Scottish Club. 
Mid-Surrey Club. 

Ladies' Club. 
Norbury Club. 
North Surrey Club. 
Princes Club. 

Ladies' Club. 
Purley Downs Club. 
Puttenham Club. 
Ranelagh Club. 
Raynes Park Club. 
Reigate Heath Club. 

Redhill and Reigate Club. 
Richmond Club. 
Royal Wimbledon Club. 
Streatham Club. 

Common Club. 
Surbiton Club. 

Ladies' Club. 



Sutton Club. 

Thames Ditton and Esher 

Club. 
Tooting Beck Club. 
Walton -on -Thames, Ashley 

Park Club. 
Warlingham Club. 
Wimbledon Ladies' Club. 

Park Club. 
Woking Club. 

Ladies' Club. 
Woldingham, N. Downs Club. 

Sussex. 
Ashdown Forest, Royal Ash- 
down Forest and Tun- 
bridge Wells Club. 
Ladies' Club. 
Cantelupe Club. 
Battle Club. 
Bexhill Club. 

Ladies' Club. 
Brighton and Hove Club. 
Ladies' Club. 
Kemp Town Club. 
Southdown and Brighton. 
Ladies' Club. 
Chichester Club. 
Crowborough Beacon Club. 
Ladies' Club. 
De La Warr Club. 
Eastbourne, Royal Eastbourne 
Club. 
Ladies' Club. 
Handcross, West Park Club. 
Hastings and St. Leonard's 
Club. 
Ladies' Club. 



CLUB DIRECTORY 



3o7 



Lewes Club. 
Littlehampton Club. 
Newhaven Club. 
Pyecombe Club. 

Ladies' Club. 
Rye Club. 
Seaford Club. 

Ladies' Club. 
Wadhurst Club. 
Willingdon Club. 

Ladies' Club. 
Worthing Club. 

Warwickshire. 
Alcester Club. 
Atherstone Club. 
Birmingham, Edgbaston Club. 
Ladies' Club. 
Hands worth Club. 
Ladies' Club. 
Harborne Club. 

Ladies' Club. 
Moseley Club. 
Ward End Club. 
Coventry Club. 
Ladies' Club. 
Hearsall Club. 
Ladies' Club. 
Hall Green, Robin Hood Club. 

Ladies' Club. 
Hampton-in-Arden, N. War- 
wickshire Club. 
Aylesford Ladies' Club. 
Henley-in-Arden, Beaudesert 

Club. 
Kenilworth Club. 
Ladies' Club. 
Leamington, North Warwick 
Ladies' Club. 



Leamington Spa, Royal Leam- 
ington Spa Ladies' Club. 
Olton Club. 
Rugby Club. 

Ladies' Club. 
Solihull, Arden Club. 
Stratford-on-Avon Club. 

Ladies' Club. 
Sutton Coldfield Club. 

Working Men's Club. 

Little Aston Club. 

Streetly Ladies' Club. 
Warwick, Warwickshire Club. 

Ladies' Club. 

Westmoreland. 
Appleby Club. 
Kendal Club. 

Serpentine Club. 
Shap Wells Club. 
Windermere Club. 

Ladies' Club. 

Wiltshire. 
Chippenham Club. 
Devizes Club. 

N. Wilts Club. 
Salisbury, Rushmore Course. 

S. Wilts Club. 
Trowbridge Club. 
Warminster Club. 

Worcestershire. 
Blackwell Club. 

Ladies' Club. 
Broadway Club. 
Bromsgrove Club. 
Droitwich Club. 
Dudley Club. 



3 o8 



CLUB DIRECTORY 



Evesham Club. 
Hagley Club. 
Kidderminster Club. 
King's Norton Club. 

Ladies' Club. 
Malvern, Worcestershire Club. 

Ladies' Club. 

Working Men's Club. 
Pershore Club. 
Powick Club. 
Redditch, Ipsley Club. 
Stourbridge Club. 
Worcester Club. 
Yardley Club. 

Yorkshire. 

Barnoldswick Club. 
Barnsley Club. 
Batley, Howley Hall Club. 
Bedale Club. 

Beverley and East Riding 
Club. 

Ladies' Club. 
Bradford Club. 

Great Horton Club. 

Pennithorne Club. 

Ravenscliffe Club. 

West Bowling Club. 
Brough and District Club. 
Cleckheaton Club. 
Dewsbury District Club. 
Doncaster Club. 
Filey Club. 
Goathland Club. 
Goole Club. 
Guisborough Club. 
Halifax Club. 
Harrogate Club. 



Hessle and District Recrea- 
tion Club. 
Hornsea Club. 
Hovingham Club. 
Huddersfield Club. 
Ilkley Club. 

Artisans' Club. 

Ladies' Club. 
Leeds Club. 

Headingley Club. 
Ladies' Club. 
Leyburn Club. 
Maltby Club. 
Masham Club. 
Ravenscar Club. 
Rawdon Club. 
Redcar, Cleveland Club. 
Richmond Club. 
Ripon, Studley Royal Club. 
Robin Hood's Bay Club. 
Saltburn Club. 
Scarborough Club. 

Ladies' Club. 
Settle Club. 

Giggleswick Grammar 
School Club. 
Sheffield and District Club. 

Ladies' Club. 

Abbeydale Club. 

Hallamshire Club. 

Hallowes Club. 
Shipley Club. 

Ladies' Club. 
Skipton, Craven Club. 
Todmorden Club. 
Tranby Croft Club. 
Wakefield Club. 

I Ladies' Club. 
Whitby Club. 



CLUB DIRECTORY 



Withernsea Course. 
Wortley Club. 



309 



Wraby Club. 
York Club. 



WALES. 



Anglesea. 
Holyhead, Tre-Arddur Club. 
Ty-Croes, Rhosneigr Club. 

Brecknock. 
Llangammarch Club. 
Llanwrtyd Wells. 

Cardiganshire. 
Borth and Ynyslas Club. 

Carmarthenshire. 
Llanelly, Ashburnham Club. 

Carnarvonshire. 
Colwyn Bay Club. 

Rhos-on-Sea Club. 
Conway, Carnarvonshire Club. 

Ladies' Club. 
Llandudno, North Wales Club. 
Pwllheli Course. 
Trefriw Club. 

Denbighshire. 
Cerrig-y-Druidion Club. 

Flintshire. 
Rhyl Club. 

Ladies' Club. 



Glamorganshire. 
Barry Club. 

Ladies' Club. 
Cardiff Lisvane Club. 
Penarth,Glamorganshire Club. 

Ladies' Club. 
Porthcawl Club. 

Ladies' Club. 
St. Fagan's Club. 
Swansea Club. 

Merionethshire. 
Aberdovey Club. 
Barmouth, Merionethshire 

Club. 
Festiniog Club. 
Harlech, Royal St. David's 

Club. 

Montgomeryshire. 
Newtown Club. 
Welshpool, Powysland Club. 

Pembrokeshire. 
Tenby Club. 

Radnorshire. 
Llandrindod Wells. 
Presteigne Club. 



3io 



CLUB DIRECTORY 



SCOTLAND. 



Aberdeenshire. 
Aberdeen Club. 

Aboyne Club. 

Ballater Club. 

Bon Accord Club. 
Ladies' Club. 

Collieston Club. 

Cruden Bay Club. 

Finzean Club. 

Fraserburgh Club. 

Huntley Club. 

Inverallochy Club. 

Licence Holders' Club. 

Newburgh Club. 

Newburgh Ythan Club. 

Northern Club. 

Teachers' Club. 

University Club. 

Victoria Club. 
Peterhead Club. 
Torphins Club. 
Turriff Club. 

Argyllshire. 
Appin Club. 

Blairmore and Strone Club. 
Campbeltown, Machrihanish 
Club. 

Ladies' Club. 

Dunaverly Club. 
Dunom Club. 
Innellan Club. 
Inverary Club. 
I slay Club. 
Kirn, Cowal Club. 
Lismore Course. 



Lochgilphead Club. 
Oban Club. 
Strachur Club. 
Tarbet Club. 
Taynuilt, Bunawe Club. 
Tighnabruaich Club. 
Tiree Club. 

Scarnish Course. 
Tobermory Club. 

Ayrshire. 
Ayr Club. 
Ballantrae Club. 
Beith Club. 
Cumnock Club. 
Gailes, Western Club. 
Galston Club. 
Girvan Club. 
Irvine Club. 

Academy Club. 

Ladies' Club. 
Kilmarnock Club. 
Largs Club. 

St. Cuthbert's Club 

St. Nicholas' Club. 
Ladies' Club. 
St. Inan's Club. 
Skelmorlie Club. 
Stevenson, Ardeer Club. 
Troon Club. 

Ladies' Club. 
Turnberry Course. 
West Kilbride Club. 

Banffshire. 
Banff Club. 



CLUB DIRECTORY 



3" 



Buckie Club. 
Craigellachie Club. 
Cullen Club. 
Dufftown Club. 
Keith Club. 
Portsoy Club. 
Tomintone Club. 

Berwickshire. 
Ayton Club. 
Duns Club. 
Eyemouth Club. 
Lander Club. 
St. Abb's Club. 

Bute and Arran. 
Brodick Club. 
Corrie Club. 
Lamlash Club. 
Millport, Cumbrae Club. 
Quochag, Bute Club. 
Rothesay Club. 

Glenburn Club. 
Shiskine Club. 
Whiting Bay Club. 

Caithness. 
John o' Groat's Course. 
Reay Club. 
Thurso Club. 
Wick Club. 

Clackmannan. 
Alloa Club. 
Alva Club. 

Crook of Devon Club. 
Dollar Club. 

Ladies' Club. 
Tillicoultry Club. 



Dumbartonshire. 
Cardross Club. 
Clynder, Baremman Club. 
Dullatur Club. 
Dumbarton Club. 

Ladies' Club. 
Garelochhead Club. 
Glasgow, Bearsden Club. 

Douglas Park Club. 
Helensburgh Club. 
Kilcraggan, Craigrownie Club. 
Kirkintillock Club. 
Lenzie Club. 
Milngavie Club. 

Dumfriesshire. 
Annan Club. 
Dalbeattie Club. 
Dumfries and Galloway Club. 

Ladies' Club. 

Queen of the South. 
Langholm Club. 
Lockerbie, Annandale Club. 
Moffat Club. 

Ladies' Club. 
Ruthwell Club. 
Thornhill Club. 

Edinburghshire. 
Bonnyrigg Club. 
Dalkeith Club and Newbattle 

Club. 
Edinburgh, Hon. Company of 
Golfers. 
Abbey Church Club. 
Abercorn Club. 
Aberdeen, Banff, and 
Kincardine Club. 



312 



CLUB DIRECTORY 



Alban Club. 

Albert Club. 

Alliance Club. 

Augustine Club. 

Ballantyne Press Club. 

Braids Club. 

United Club. 

Bruntsfield Links Society. 

Burgess Society. 

Fettesian-Lorettonian 
Club. 

Grampian Club. 

Parkside Club. 

Ye Monks of ye Braids 
Club. 
Glencorse Club. 
Gorebridge Club. 
Juniper Green, Baberton Club. 

Ladies' Club. 
Leith Club. 

Mid-Calder, Selms Club. 
Musselburgh, Royal Mussel- 
burgh Club. 
West Calder and Addiewell 
Club. 

Elgin. 
Advie Club. 

Burghead and Dufifus Club. 
Fochabers Club. 
Forres Club. 
Grantown Club. 

Ladies' Club. 
Lossiemouth, Moray Club. 

Fife. 

Aberdour Club. 
Anstruther Club. 

East of Fife Club. 



Auchtertool Club. 
Burntisland Club. 

Ladies' Club. 

Links Club. 
Cowdenbeath Club. 
Crail Society. 
Culross Club. 
Culpar Club. 
Dunfermline Club. 
Dysart Club. 
Earlsferry and Elie Club. 
Elie Golf House Club. 
Kelty Club. 
Kinghorn Club. 

Ladies' Club. 

Thistle Club. 
Ladybank Club. 

Artisans' Club. 

Ladies' Club. 
Largo, Lundin Club. 
Leslie Club. 

Leven, Innerlaven Club. 
Lochgelly Club. 
St. Andrews, St. Andrews 
Club. 

Children's Club. 

Guild Club. 

Ladies' Club. 

Royal and Ancient Club. 

University Club. 
Tayport, Scotscraig Club. 
Wemyss Club. 

Forfarshire. 

Arbroath Club. 

Ladies' Club. 
Barry, Panmure Club. 
Jkechin Club. 

Artisans' Club. 



Broughty Ferry Ladies' Club. 

Carnoustie Club. 

Downfield Club. 

Edzell Club. 

Forfar Club. 

Kirriemuir Club. 

Monifieth Club. 

Montrose, Royal Albert Club. 

Haddingtonshire. 
Aberlady-Kilspindie Club. 
Dirleton, Archerfield Club. 
Dunbar Club. 
East Linton Club. 
Gullane Club. 
Haddington Club. 
North Berwick Club. 

Ladies 7 Club. 
Prestonpans, Thorntree Club. 

Hebrides. 
Benbecula Club. 
Colonsay Club. 
Lochmaddy, North Uish Club. 
South Uish Club. 
Stornoway Club. 

Inverness-shire. 
Abernethy Club. 
Arisaig Club. 
Fort Augustus Club. 
Fort William, Lochaber Club. 
Inverness Club. 
Kincraig, Insh Club. 
Kingussie Club. 
Laggan Club. 
Newtonmore Club. 
Uig Club. 

21 



CLUB DIRECTORY 313 

Kincardineshire. 
Auchinblae Club. 



Fettercairn Club. 
Laurencekirk Club. 
Stonehaven Club. 

Kinross-shire. 
Kinross Club. 

KlRKCUDBRIGHTS H I RE. 

Castle Douglas Club. 
Kirkcudbright, Kirkcudbright- 
shire Club. 

Lanarkshire. 
Abington Club. 
Airdrie Club. 
Biggar Club. 
Carluke Club. 

Coatbridge, Drumpellier Club. 
Crawford Club. 
Cumbernauld Club. 
Douglas Club. 
East Kilbride Club. 
Glasgow Club. 
Lanark Club. 
Leadhills, Lowther Club. 

Linlithgowshire. 
Bathgate Club. 
Fauldhouse Club. 
Linlithgow, West Lothian 

Club. 
Pumpherston Club. 
Uphall Club. 

Nairnshire. 

Nairn Club. 



314 

Orkney and Shetland. 
Orkney Club. 
Stromness Club. 
Shetland Club. 

Peeblesshire. 
Broughton Club. 
Carlops Club. 
Innerleithen Club. 
Peebles Club. 
West Linton Club. 

Perthshire. 
Aberfeldy, Breadalbane Club. 
Aberfoyle Club. 
Blairgowrie Club. 
Perth, Royal Society and 
County and City Club. 
Artisans' Club. 
Pitlochry Club. 
Strathtay Club. 

Renfrewshire. 
Bridge of Weir Club. 
Glasgow, Scotstownhill Club. 
Gourock Club. 
Greenock Club. 
Paisley Club. 
Port Glasgow Club. 
Renfrew Club. 



CLUB DIRECTORY 



Ross and Cromarty. 
Cromarty Club. 
Invergordon Club. 
Tain, St. Duthus Club. 

Roxburghshire. 
Hawick Club. 
Jedburgh Club. 
Kelso Club. 
Melrose Club. 

Selkirkshire. 
Galashiels, Torwoodlee Club. 
Selkirk Club. 

Stirlingshire. 
Bridge of Allan Club. 
Falkirk Tryst Club. 
Kilsyth Club. 
Stirling Club. 

Sutherland. 
Dornock Club. 
Durness Club. 
Lairg Club. 

Wigtownshire. 
Ardwell Club. 
Glenluce, Wigtownshire Club. 



IRELAND. 



Antrim. 
Antrim, Massereene Club. 
Ballycastle Club. 
Belfast, Royal Belfast Club. 
Fort William Club. 



Bushmills, Bush Foot Club. 
Garron Point Course. 
Greenisland Club. 
Helen's Bay Club. 
Larne Club. 



CLUB DIRECTORY 



Portrush, Royal Portrush Club. 
Portstewart Club. 
Randalstown, Stanes Park 

Club. 
Toomesbridge, Toome Club. 

Armagh. 
Armagh, County Armagh Club. 
Lurgan Glub. 

Cavan. 
Cavan Club. 

Clare. 

Ennis Club. 
Kilkee Club. 
Lahinch Club. 
Miltown Malbay Club. 

Cork. 
Bandon Club. 
Clonakilty Club. 
Coachford, Muskerry Club. 
Cork Club. 
Fermoy Club. 
Mallow Club. 
Rathconey Club. 
Youghal Club. 

Donegal. 
Ardara Club. 
Bundoran Club. 
Carrigart, Rosapenna Club. 
Greencastle Club. 
Portsalon Club. 
Rathmullen, Otway Club. 

Down. 

Ardglass Club. 



315 

Donaghadee Club. 
Dromore Club. 
Killyleagh, Dufferin Club. 
Newcastle, County Down Club. 
Saintfield Club. 

Dublin. 
Carrickmines Club. 
Dublin, Royal Dublin Club. 

University Club. 
Fonthill Club. 
Foxrock Club. 

Lucan, Moor of Meath Club. 
Malahide Club. 
Portmarnock Club. 
Sutton Club. 

Galway. 

Galway Club. 

Kerry. 
Ardfert Course. 
Ballybunion Club. 
Caragh Lake, Caragh and 

Dooks Club. 
Darrynane Club. 
Killarney Club. 
Tralee Club. 

KlLDARE. 
Carlow, Leinster Club. 
Curragh Club. 
Kildare County Club. 

Kilkenny. 
Kilkenny Club. 
Thomastown Club. 



316 

King's County. 
Banagher Club. 
Birr, King's County and Or 

mond Club. 
Tullamore Club. 



CLUB DIRECTORY 

TlPPERARY. 

Nenagh Club. 
Roscrea Club. 
Tipperary Club. 



Limerick. 
Adare Manor Club. 
Limerick Club. 

Londonderry. 
Castlerock Club. 
Coleraine Club. 
Londonderry, N.-W. Club. 

Louth. 
Drogheda, County Louth Club. 
Greenore Club. 

Mayo. 
Ballinrobe Club. 

Monaghan. 
Monaghan Club. 

Queen's County. 
Maryborough, Queen's County 
Heath Club. 

Sligo. 
Sligo, County Sligo Club. 



Tyrone. 
Augher Club. 
Aughnacloy Club. 
Clogher Club. 

Cookstown, Killymoon Club. 
Dungannon Club. 
Omagh Club. 

Waterford. 
Lismore Club. 
Waterford and Tramore Clubs. 

West Meath. 
Athlone Garrison Club. 
Moate Club. 
Mullingar, West Meath Club. 

Wexford. 
Gorly, Newborough Cluh. 

WlCKLOW. 
Bray Club. 
Greystones Club. 
Woodenbridge Club. 



RULES OF GOLF 

AS APPROVED BY THE ROYAL AND ANCIENT GOLF 
CLUB OF ST. ANDREWS, SEPTEMBER, 1899. 

I. Definitions :—{a) The Game of Golf is played by sides, 
each playing its own ball. A side consists either of one or of 
two players. If one player play against another, the match is 
called "a single." If two play against two, it is called "a 
foursome." A single player may play against two, when the 
match is called a "threesome," or three players may play 
against each other, each playing his own ball, when the match 
is called "a three-ball match." 

{b) The game consists in each side playing a ball from a 
teeing-ground into a hole by successive strokes, and the hole is 
won by the side which holes its ball in fewer strokes than the 
opposite side, except as otherwise provided for in the Rules. 
If the sides hole out in the same number of strokes, the hole 
is halved. 

(c) The teeing-ground shall be indicated by two marks 
placed in a line, as nearly as possible at right angles to the 
course. 

The hole shall be 4J inches in diameter, and at least 4 inches 
deep. 

(d) The term " putting-green " shall mean all ground within 
20 yards of the hole, except hazards. 

(e) A "hazard" shall be any bunker, water (except casual 
water), sand, path, road, railway, whin, bush, rushes, rabbit 
scrape, fence, or ditch. Sand blown on to the grass, or 
sprinkled on the course for its preservation, bare patches, 
snow, and ice are not hazards. Permanent grass within a 
hazard shall not be considered part of the hazard. 

317 



3 i8 RULES OF GOLF 

(/) The term "through the green" shall mean all parts of 
the course except "hazards" and the putting-green which is 
being played to. 

(g) The term " out of bounds " shall mean any place outside 
the defined or recognised boundaries of the course. 

(k) " Casual water " shall mean any temporary accumulation 
of water (whether caused by rainfall or otherwise) which is not 
one of the ordinary and recognised hazards of the course. 

(z) A ball shall be "in play" as soon as the player has made 
a stroke at the teeing-ground in each hole, and shall remain 
in play until holed out, except when lifted in accordance with 
the Rules. 

(f) A ball shall be considered to have "moved" only if it 
leave its original position in the least degree, and stop in 
another ; but if it merely oscillate, without finally leaving its 
original position, it shall not be considered to have " moved." 

(k) A ball shall be considered "lost" if it be not found 
within five minutes after the search for it is begun. 

(/) A "match" shall consist of one round of the Links, 
unless it be otherwise agreed. 

A match is won by the side which is leading by a number 
of holes greater than the number of holes remaining to be 
played. If each side win the same number of holes, the match 
is halved. 

(m) A " stroke " shall be any movement of the ball caused 
by the player, except as provided for in Rule 4, or any down- 
ward movement of the club made with the intention of striking 
the ball. 

(n) A " penalty stroke " is a stroke added to the score of a 
side under certain rules, and shall not affect the rotation of 
play. 

(o) The privilege of playing first from a teeing-ground is 
called "the honour." 

(fi) "Addressing the ball" shall mean that a player has 
taken up his position and grounded his club, or if in a hazard, 
that he has taken up his position preparatory to striking the 
ball. 



RULES OF GOLF 319 

{q) The reckoning of strokes is kept by the terms — "the 
odd," " two more," " three more," etc., and " one off three," 
" one off two," " the like." The reckoning of holes is kept by 
the terms — so many "holes up," or "all even," and so many 
"to play." 

2. A match begins by each side playing a ball from the first 
teeing-ground. 

The player who shall play first on each side shall be named 
by his own side. 

The option of taking the honour at the first teeing-ground 
shall be decided, if necessary, by lot. 

A ball played from in front of, or outside of, or more than 
two club lengths behind the two marks indicating the teeing- 
ground, or played by a player when his opponent should have 
had the honour, may be at once recalled by the opposite side, 
and may be re-teed. 

The side which wins a hole shall have the honour at the 
next teeing-ground. If a hole has been halved the side which 
had the honour at the last teeing-ground shall again have the 
honour. 

On beginning a new match the winner of the long match in 
the previous round shall have the honour, or if the previous 
match was halved the side which last won a hole shall have 
the honour. 

3. A player shall not play while his ball is moving, under 
the penalty of the loss of the hole. But if the ball begin to 
move while the player is making his upward or downward 
swing, he shall incur no penalty, except as provided for in 
Rules 10, 18, and 27, and a stroke lost under Rule 27 shall not 
in these circumstances be counted as a stroke of the player. 

4. If the ball fall or be knocked off the tee in addressing it, 
no penalty shall be incurred, and it may be replaced, and if 
struck when moving no penalty shall be incurred. 

5. In a threesome or foursome the partners shall strike off 
alternately from the teeing-grounds, and shall strike alternately 
during the play of the hole. 

If a player play when his partner should have done so, his 
side shall lose the hole. 



3 2o RULES OF GOLF 

6. When the balls are in play, the ball furthest from tfie hole 
which the players are approaching shall be played first, except 
as otherwise provided for in the Rules. If a player play when 
his opponent should have done so, the opponent may at once 
recall the stroke. A ball so recalled shall be dropped as near 
as possible to the place where it lay, without penalty. 

7. The ball must be fairly struck at, not pushed, scraped, nor 
spooned, under penalty of the loss of the hole. 

8. A ball must be played wherever it lies or the hole be 
given up, except as otherwise provided for in the Rules. 

9. Unless with the opponent's consent, a ball in play shall 
not be moved, nor touched before the hole is played out, under 
penalty of one stroke, except as otherwise provided for in the 
Rules. But the player may touch his ball with his club in the 
act of addressing it, without penalty. 

If the player's ball move the opponent's ball through the 
green, the opponent, if he choose, may drop a ball (without 
penalty) as near as possible to the place where it lay, but this 
must be done before another stroke is played. 

10. Any loose impediment (not being in or touching a 
hazard) which is within a club length of the ball may be 
removed. If the player's ball move after any such loose 
impediment has been touched by the player, his partner, or 
either of their caddies, the penalty shall be one stroke. If 
any loose impediment (not being on the putting-green) which 
is more than a club length from the ball be removed, the 
penalty shall be the loss of the hole. 

11. Any vessel, wheelbarrow, tool, roller, grass-cutter, box, 
or similar obstruction may be removed. If a ball be moved 
in so doing, it may be replaced without penalty. A ball lying 
on or touching such obstruction, or on clothes, nets, or ground 
under repair or covered up or opened for the purpose of the 
upkeep of the Links, may be lifted and dropped without penalty, 
as near as possible to the place where it lay, but not nearer the 
hole. A ball lifted in a hazard, under such circumstances, 
shall be dropped in the hazard. 

A ball lying in a golf hole or flag hole, or in a hole made 



RULES OF GOLF 



321 



by the greenkeeper, may be lifted and dropped without penalty 
as near as possible to the place where it lay, but not nearer the 
hole. 

12. Before striking at a ball in play, the player shall not 
move, bend, nor break anything fixed or growing near the ball, 
except in the act of placing his feet on the ground for the 
purpose of addressing the ball, in soling his club to address 
the ball, and in his upward or downward swing, under penalty 
of the loss of the hole, except as otherwise provided for in the 
Rules. 

13. When a ball lies in or touches a hazard, nothing shall 
be done to improve its lie ; the club shall not touch the 
ground, nor shall anything be touched or moved before the 
player strikes at the ball, subject to the following exceptions : — 
(1) The player may place his feet firmly on the ground for the 
purpose of addressing the ball ; (2) In addressing the ball, or 
in the upward or downward swing, any grass, bent, whin, or 
other growing substance, or the side of a bunker, wall, paling, 
or other immovable obstacle may be touched; (3) Steps or 
planks placed in a hazard by the Green Committee for access 
to or egress from such hazard may be removed, and if a ball 
be moved in so doing, it may be replaced without penalty ; 
(4) Any loose impediments may be removed from the putting- 
green ; (5) The player shall be entitled to find his ball as 
provided for by Rule 30. The penalty for a breach of this 
Rule shall be the loss of the hole. 

14. A player or caddie shall not press down nor remove any 
irregularities of surface near a ball in play. Dung, worm- 
casts, or mole-hills may be removed (but not pressed down) 
without penalty. The penalty for a breach of this Rule shall 
be the loss of the hole. 

15. If a ball lie or be lost in water, the player may drop 
a ball, under penalty of one stroke. But if a ball lie or be lost 
(1) in casual water through the green, a ball may be dropped 
without penalty ; (2) in water in a hazard, or in casual water in 
a hazard, a ball may be dropped behind the hazard, under 
penalty of one stroke ', (3) in casual water on a putting-green, 



322 RULES OF GOLF 

a ball may be placed by hand behind the water, without 
penalty. 

1 6. When a ball has to be dropped, the player himself shall 
drop it. He shall face the hole, stand erect behind the hazard 
or casual water, keep the spot from which the ball was lifted 
(or in the case of water or casual water, the spot at which it 
entered) in a line between himself and the hole, and drop the 
ball behind him from his head, standing as far behind the 
hazard or casual water as he may please. If it be impossible 
to drop the ball behind the hazard or casual water, it shall be 
dropped as near as possible to the place where it lay, but not 
nearer the hole. If the ball so dropped touch the player 
dropping it, there shall be no further penalty, and if the ball 
roll into a hazard, it may be re-dropped without further 
penalty. 

17. When the balls lie within six inches of each other on a 
putting-green, or within a club length of each other through 
the green or in a hazard (the distance to be measured from 
their nearest points), the ball nearer the hole may, at the 
option of either the player or the opponent, be lifted until the 
other is played, and shall then be replaced as near as possible 
to the place where it lay. If the ball further from the hole 
be moved in so doing, or in measuring the distance, it shall 
be replaced without penalty. If the lie of the lifted ball be 
altered by the player in playing, the ball may be placed in 
a lie as nearly as possible similar to that from which it was 
lifted, but not nearer the hole. 

18. Any loose impediments may be removed from the 
putting-green, irrespective of the position of the player's ball. 
The opponent's ball may not be moved except as provided 
for by the immediately preceding Rule. If the player's ball 
move after any loose impediment lying within six inches of 
it has been touched by the player, his partner, or either of 
their caddies, the penalty shall be one stroke. 

19. When the ball is on the putting-green the player or his 
caddie may remove (but not press down) sand, earth, dung, 
worm-casts, mole-hills, snow, or ice lying round the hole or in 



RULES OF GOLF 323 

the line of his putt. This shall be done by brushing lightly with 
the hand only across the putt and not along it. Dung may be 
removed by a club, but the club must not be laid with more 
than its own weight upon the ground. The line of the putt 
must not be touched, except with the club immediately in front 
of the ball, in the act of addressing it, or as above authorised. 
The penalty for a breach of this Rule is the loss of the hole. 

20. When the ball is on the putting-green, no mark shall be 
placed, nor line drawn as a guide. The line of the putt may 
be pointed out by the player's caddie, his partner, or his 
partner's caddie, but the person doing so must not touch the 
ground. 

The player's caddie, his partner, or his partner's caddie, may 
stand at the hole, but no player nor caddie shall endeavour, by 
moving or otherwise, to influence the action of the wind upon 
the ball. 

The penalty for a breach of this Rule is the loss of the hole. 

21. When on the putting-green, a player shall not play until 
the opponent's ball is at rest, under penalty of one stroke. 

22. Either side is entitled to have the flag-stick removed 
when approaching the hole. If the ball rest against the flag- 
stick when in the hole, the player shall be entitled to remove 
the stick, and, if the ball fall in, it shall be deemed as having 
been holed out at the last stroke. If the player's ball knock 
in the opponent's ball, the latter shall be deemed as having 
been holed out at the last stroke. If the player's ball move 
the opponent's ball, the opponent, if he choose, may replace 
it, but this must be done before another stroke is played. If 
the player's ball stop on the spot formerly occupied by the 
opponent's ball, and the opponent declare his intention to 
replace, the player shall first play another stroke, after which 
the opponent shall replace and play his ball. If the opponent's 
ball lie on the edge of the hole, the player, after holing out, 
may knock it away, claiming the hole if holing at the like, and 
the half if holing at the odd, provided that the player's ball 
does not strike the opponent's ball and set it in motion. 
If, after the player's ball is in the hole, the player neglect 



3 2 4 RULES OF GOLF 

to knock away the opponent's ball and it fall in also, the 
opponent shall be deemed to have holed out at his last 
stroke. 

23. If a ball in motion be stopped or deflected by any 
agency outside the match, or by the forecaddie, the ball must 
be played from where it lies, and the occurrence submitted to 
as a "rub of the green." If a ball lodge in anything moving, 
a ball shall be dropped as near as possible to the place where 
the object was when the ball lodged in it, without penalty. 
If a ball at rest be displaced by any agency outside the match, 
excepting wind, the player shall drop a ball as near as possible 
to the place where it lay, without penalty. On the putting- 
green the ball shall be replaced by hand, without penalty. 

24. If the player's ball strike, or be moved by an opponent 
or an opponent's caddie or clubs, the opponent shall lose the 
hole. 

25. If the player's ball strike, or be stopped by, himself or 
his partner, or either of their caddies or clubs, his side shall 
lose the hole. 

26. If the player, when making a stroke, strike the ball 
twice, the penalty shall be one stroke. 

27. If the player, when not intending to make a stroke, or his 
partner or either of their caddies, move his or their ball, or by 
touching anything cause it to move when it is in play, the 
penalty shall be one stroke. If a ball in play move after the 
player has grounded his club in the act of addressing it, or, 
when in a hazard, if he has taken up his stand to play it, he 
shall be deemed to have caused it to be moved, and shall lose 
a stroke, which shall be counted as a stroke of the player, 
except as provided in Rule 3. 

28. If a player play the opponent's ball, his side shall lose 
the hole, unless (1) the opponent then play the player's ball, 
whereby the penalty is cancelled, and the hole must be played 
out with the balls thus exchanged, or (2) the mistake occur 
through wrong information given by the opponent or his 
caddie, in which case there shall be no penalty, but the mis- 
take, if discovered before the opponent has played, must be 



RULES OF GOLF 325 

rectified by placing a ball as near as possible to the place 
where the opponent's ball lay. 

If it be discovered before either side has struck off from the 
next teeing-ground (or, after playing the last hole in the match, 
before any of the players have left the green) that one side has 
played out the hole with the ball of a party not engaged in the 
match, that side shall lose that hole. 

29. If a ball be lost, except as otherwise provided for in the 
Rules, the player's side shall lose the hole ; but if both balls be 
lost, the hole shall be considered halved. 

30. If a ball be lost in fog, bent, whins, long grass, or the 
like, only so much thereof shall be touched as will enable the 
player to find his ball. The penalty for a breach of this Rule 
shall be the loss of the hole. 

31. If a ball be driven out of bounds, a ball shall be dropped 
at the spot from which the stroke was played, under penalty of 
loss of the distance. 

32. In a three-ball match, if a player consider that an 
opponent's ball on the putting-green might interfere with his 
stroke, he may require the opponent either to lift or hole out 
his ball at the opponent's discretion. 

If an opponent consider (1) that his own ball, if left, might 
be of assistance to the player, he is entitled to lift it, or hole out 
at his discretion ; or (2) that the ball of the other opponent 
might be of such assistance, he may require that it be either 
lifted or holed out at the other opponent's discretion. 

33. A player shall not ask for advice from anyone except his 
own caddie, his partner, or his partner's caddie, nor shall he 
willingly be otherwise advised in any way whatever, under 
penalty of the loss of the hole. 

34. If a ball split into separate pieces, another ball may be 
put down where the largest portion lies, or if two pieces are 
apparently of equal size, it may be put where either piece lies, 
at the option of the player. If a ball crack or become unfit 
for play, the player may change it, on intimating to his 
opponent his intention to do so. Mud adhering to a ball shall 
not be considered as making it unfit for play. 



326 RULES OF GOLF 

35. If a dispute arise on any point, the players have the right 
of determining the party or parties to whom it shall be re- 
ferred, but should they not agree, either side may refer it to the 
Rules of Golf Committee, whose decision shall be final. If 
the point in dispute be not covered by the Rules of Golf, the 
arbiters must decide it by equity. 

SPECIAL RULES FOR STROKE COMPETITIONS. 

1. In stroke competitions the competitor who holes the 
stipulated course in fewest strokes shall be the winner. 

2. If the lowest scores be made by two or more competitors, 
the tie or ties shall be decided by another round to be played 
on the same day. But if the Green Committee determine that 
to be inexpedient or impossible, they shall then appoint the 
following or some subsequent day whereon the tie or ties shall 
be decided. 

3. New holes shall be made for Stroke Competitions, and 
thereafter no competitor, before starting, shall play any stroke 
on a putting-green, under penalty of disqualification. 

4. The scores shall be kept by a special marker, or by the 
competitors noting each other's scores. The scores marked 
shall be checked after each hole. On completion of the round, 
the score of the competitor shall be signed by the marker, 
counter-signed by the competitor, and handed to the Secretary 
or his deputy, after which, unless it be found that a card 
returned shows a score below that actually played (in which 
case the competitor shall be disqualified), no correction or 
alteration can be made. 

5. If a competitor play from outside the limits of the teeing- 
ground, the penalty shall be disqualification. 

6. If a ball be lost (except as otherwise provided for in the 
Rules of Golf), the competitor shall return as near as possible 
to the spot from which the lost ball was struck, tee a ball, and 
lose a stroke. The lost ball shall continue in play, if it be 
found before the player has struck another ball. 

7. If a competitor's ball strike himself, his clubs, or caddie, 
the penalty shall be one stroke. 



RULES OF GOLF 327 

8. If a competitor's ball strike another competitor, or his 
clubs or caddie, it is a " rub of the green," and the ball shall be 
played from where it lies. If a competitor's ball which is at 
rest be moved by another competitor or his caddie, or his club, 
or his ball, or by any outside agency excepting wind, it shall 
be replaced as near as possible to the place where it lay, with- 
out penalty. 

9. A competitor shall hole out with his own ball at every 
hole, under penalty of disqualification. But if it be dis- 
covered before he has struck off from the next teeing-ground 
or, if the mistake occur at the last hole, before he has handed 
his card to the Secretary or his deputy, that he has not holed 
out with his own ball, he shall be at liberty to return and hole 
out with his own ball, without penalty. 

10. A ball may be lifted out of a difficulty of any description, 
and teed, if possible, behind it, under penalty of two strokes. 
If it be impossible to tee the ball behind the difficulty, it shall 
be teed as near as possible to the place where it lay, but not 
nearer the hole. 

11. All balls shall be holed out, under penalty of disqualifi- 
cation. When a competitor's ball is within 20 yards of the 
hole, the competitor shall not play until the flag has been 
removed, under penalty of one stroke. If the ball nearer the 
hole might either interfere with the competitor's stroke, or in 
any way assist the competitor, such ball must be holed out 
or lifted, at the owner's option. Through the green a com- 
petitor may have any other competitor's ball lifted, if he find 
that it interferes with his stroke. 

12. A competitor, unless specially authorised by the Green 
Committee, shall not play with a professional, and he may not 
willingly receive advice from anyone but his caddie, in any 
way whatever, under penalty of disqualification. 

A forecaddie may be employed. 

13. Competitors shall not discontinue play on account of 
bad weather, under penalty of disqualification. 

14. Where, in the Rules of Golf, the penalty for the 
breach of any rule is the loss of the hole, in stroke com- 
petitions the penalty shall be the loss of two strokes, except 
where otherwise provided for in these Special Rules. 



328 RULES OF GOLF 

15. Any dispute regarding the play shall be determined by 
the Rules of Golf Committee. 

16. The Rules of Golf, so far as they are not at variance 
with these Special Rules, shall apply to Stroke Competitions. 

ETIQUETTE OF GOLF. 

1. A single player has no standing, and must always give 
way to a properly constituted match. 

2. No player, caddie, on onlooker should move or talk 
during a stroke. 

3. No player should play from the tee until the party in 
front have played their second strokes and are out of range, 
nor play up to the putting-green till the party in front have 
holed out and moved away. 

4. The player who has the honour should be allowed to play 
before his opponent tees his ball. 

5. Players who have holed out should not try their putts 
over again when other players are following them. 

6. Players looking for a lost ball must allow other matches 
coming up to pass them. 

7. On request being made, a three -ball match must allow a 
single, threesome, or foursome to pass. Any match playing a 
whole round may claim the right to pass a match playing a 
shorter round. 

8. If a match fail to keep its place on the green, and lose in 
distance more than one clear hole on those in front, it may be 
passed, on request being made. 

9. Turf cut or displaced by a stroke should be at once 
replaced. 

10. A player should carefully fill up all holes made by him- 
self in a bunker. 

11. It is the duty of an umpire or referee to take cognisance 
of any breach of rule that he may observe, whether he be 
appealed to on the point or not. 

a) 
3+77-2 



